Sam would do anything for Dean, but he won't do that
by SheyRicci
Summary: Bobby arrives at the hopsital expecting answers but finds Sam unwilling to talk and Dean unable to. The arrival of Lisa doesn't help and his frustration grows because he knows Sam would do anything for his brother but won't explain what he had to do.(Reposted)
1. Chapter 1

Howdy-ho All! This is a recycled older story that for whatever reason, the site booted off. One of the first ones I wrote, I believe, so be kind!

I don't recall what I originally called it or the description so if it seems familiar, you probably read it before. Those who've been with me for a while, will recall my old laptop crashed and I had to convert from works to words and I'm not computer savvy…so….found this on a thumbie and waa-laa!

Anyway, it's set in season six, after Sam was re-souled but before the wall fell.

And, oh yeah, I created my own mythical creature, symptoms and cure.

* * *

Bobby paused in front of the hospital room, frowning in confusion at the closed door in front of him. Privacy when needed, was provided by a sheet drawn around the bed. He gave his head a shake and heaved a tired sigh. So what the doctor had warned him about with Sam upon his arrival was undoubtedly true.

He'd gotten the call from hospital personnel, not Sam. He'd yet to hear from the youngster but that hadn't stopped him from setting out for the hospital upon hanging up the phone. All he knew was Dean had been brought to the hospital by his brother who was both distant and uncooperative. In fact, the woman had continued, the doctor was confused by Sam's hostile, rude attitude and his refusal to answer any specific questions about what happened and they would appreciate any assistance they could get in getting answers.

Bobby eased the door open and poked his head in to take a look around the room. The room was a double with only one bed occupied. Sam slouched in a chair next to the bed, head laid back, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket; he didn't move or speak when Bobby entered. Having been warned Sam was not in a receptive state of mind, Bobby for verbal battle.

"Sam?" Bobby stepped into the room and let the door close behind him. "Hey kiddo, you awake?"

Sam recognized the voice, just wasn't expecting to hear it. The nervous jouncing of his knee stopped and his head rolled on the back of the chair, eyes blinking open. He took a moment to focus in the dim light of the room before letting his eyes come to rest on Bobby. No warmth, no flicker of welcome.

"Anything you want to tell me Sam?" Bobby asked with a calmness he didn't feel.

Sam pushed his ass back in the chair and sat up; his hands remained fisted as he rubbed his eyes then his fingers splayed as he combed them through his hair. Bobby waited to see how Sam was going to respond to him.

"Bobby." was what he finally said, eyes diverted to the floor.

"That's it? My name? That's all you can manage?" Bobby fought to contain his temper. Sam's appearance alone was cause for concern. He obviously hadn't seen soap, shampoo, a razor or water for a couple of days. Nor did it appear he'd had any decent sleep or food lately. He was dirty, disheveled, somewhat bruised and, yes, upon closer inspection, and though it was now dry, bloody.

Bobby pushed down his worry and let his ire build. He wanted to scold the boy, wanted to yell actually, wanted to rant and rave and berate him for being selfish and stupid and demand an explanation. He wanted answers and dammit, no matter what it took, he was going to get them.

"Dammit Sam, I thought we were past this? What the hell? You couldn't call me? One damn phone call? How hard wudda that been to do? You wouldn't evena' had to dial my number, I'm on speed dial, ain't I?!"

Sam's hazel eyes flashed with hurt and he lowered his head. He expected to be yelled at and squared his shoulders to take it. Bobby could easily read his body language so when Sam hung his head and kicked a toe against the bed leg, his anger fled faster than it had come. Sam was always expecting rejection and it never failed to tug at Bobby's heart to see his reaction.

"Sam." he didn't speak again until he was sure he could speak without anger lacing his tone. "Are you ok?" Sam glanced up through his bangs, still hesitant, prepared to defend himself against another tongue lashing. He didn't really make eye contact before resuming his study of the floor, giving Bobby a slight shrug in answer. "Is any of that blood yours?"

Sam shook his head. He was in no condition to explain himself to anyone. He wanted to curl up in a corner, ignore the world and dissolve into a puddle of emotion. He deserved it, he had earned it and dammit, he was entitled to it. He was barely hanging on to his composure and any control of his emotions was gone. His way to deal was to shut down and shut everyone out.

"Would you…." Bobby glanced at the bed, Dean still slept. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? Maybe a sandwich?"

"I'm not hungry." the words were so softly spoken Bobby thought he'd imagined them. Wasn't like he could see the kids face to see if his lips moved.

Sam was emotionally shot and physically exhausted. Bobby wasn't too sure about Sam's mental state either. The kid was scared, upset, worried and tired and Bobby knew San's way to deal with those feelings was defense and denial.

"Well, tough, you're going to eat, so pick something that sounds good or I'll bring back a tuna sandwich."

"Turkey's good guess, doesn't really matter…. just not tuna." he grimaced in distaste. "Coffee sounds good."

"You should wash up, use the sink here in the room, I'll go out to the Impala and get you a change of clothes. The car is here, isn't it?"

"Yeah, out back, what are you doing here anyway?"

"Someone from the hospital called me. My number's listed as an emergency contact on Dean's cell. I take it you took the necessary precautions to hide both you and him?"

"Yeah." he pushed to his feet, stretching to ease the kinks out of his back. "He's safe as I can make him."

"When was the last time you got any sleep?"

Sam thought back, starting to pace, he'd just had a nap in the chair but he knew that wasn't what Bobby meant. "Um, dunno, it was…" he paused. "Sunny out."

"Don't suppose you'd go to a motel and get a shower? Lay down for a couple of hours?"

"Later." Sam had stopped near Dean's bed and stood, looking down at him while talking to Bobby.

"The doctor said he's gonna be fine. I'll stay with him."

Sam shook his head, resuming his pacing.

"Ok." Bobby decided not to push. "You don't look so good Sam, you're not ok."

"Probably not." Sam agreed, too tired to keep up the front with the man who knew him so well.

"You should rest."

"When he wakes up."

"You can wake him up if you want to."

"Well, I don't." Sam snapped.

Bobby took a breath, held it, and then blew it out. No sense pushing at Sam now, he'd give it some time and try again later. "Okay, I'll be back in an hour or so, you wash up." he wasn't too sure about leaving Sam alone but the kid needed something to eat and a change of clothing more than he needed company, so Bobby reluctantly left.

***000***

Dean knew where he was, knew when Bobby had come in, knew Sam was in the room, knew Bobby had left; what he didn't know was why he was in the hospital, why his eyes didn't want to open or why his tongue was too heavy to move. Trying to concentrate made his head hurt and trying to focus demanded far too much effort so he gave up without much of a fight. There would be more than enough time to figure it all out later. He heard Sam move about the room, heard the running of water then the snick of the bathroom door, all familiar sounds and let himself drift back off.

Hands and face washed, hair wetted and finger-combed, Sam resumed his slouch in the chair. Now that Bobby had mentioned coffee, it was all he could think about. He wasn't hungry but coffee sounded great. He sighed, letting his mind wander to Bobby's suggestion of a hot shower and a nap in an actual bed.

Dean was fine; there was no need to remain at his bedside 24/7 in the hospital. Hell, there was really no need for Dean to stay at the hospital either. He hadn't been expecting Bobby, had planned on giving Dean until the following morning before taking him and leaving because they both needed a period of rest. But now that Bobby was there, he could stay and even if he didn't want to, Dean didn't need someone with him. Decision made to leave and find a motel once Bobby returned; he let his eyes close and dozed off.

"Hey Sam." Bobby returned with sandwich, change of clothes and coffee, pleased to see Sam had washed up. "Coffee, lots of cream, even that shitty French vanilla flavor you like so much."

"Huh." he sat up. He could smell the flavored creamer and a soft grin tugged at his lip, knowing how much Dean hated his preference for it. "Thanks."

"He wake up?"

"No."

"And you haven't made him." soon as he said it, Bobby knew he shouldn't have. Sam sighed, hot cup of coffee that only an hour ago had sounded so damn good, now making him nauseous. He set it aside without taking a sip. If it wasn't the nurse scolding him, the doctors tone of disapproval, it was criticism from Bobby.

"Sam, I'm sorry, but… "

"What's it hurt Bobby? Huh? What difference does it make if he sleeps until he wakes up on his own? Hasn't he been through enough? Can't he just be left alone and allowed to have some time to himself?"

"The doctors don't know him like you do Sam. They don't understand what we know. To them, it's a medical problem. They will soon start looking for other problems. Do you want him to go through further tests and procedures? Be here longer?"

"I won't let that happen."

"And just how the hell do you intend to stop it?"

"I'll take him out of here Bobby."

"Take him out how?"

"I'll call Cas."

"Dammit Sam..!"

"Um, hi, is this a bad time?"

Bobby turned around and Sam looked over, eyes widening upon sight of mother and son in the doorway. "Lisa." Bobby managed. "Ben."

"You called her?" Sam demanded, ignoring Lisa as he leveled Bobby with a mixed look of hurt and betrayal. "You would do that?"

"You seriously think that?"

Sam threw his hands wide, arm waving an arc in her direction. "Yet, there she is!"

"Are we interrupting?" she asked uncertainly, glancing between Bobby and Sam.

"Uh, no-no, course not. Good to see you Lisa." Bobby managed a smile. "Hey there Ben."

"Is it all right if we see Dean? I don't want to intrude." Lisa wasn't able to relax with the way Sam was glowering at Bobby. It was obvious they'd walked in on an argument.

"Sure-sure, come on in. He's asleep." Bobby lowered his voice.

"The nurse said infection from a puncture wound." Lisa approached the bed with Ben, keeping a wary eye on Sam. He had yet to greet her or extend any show of acceptance. She half expected him to stop her and send her from the room. "Is it?"

"It's how the symptoms present." Bobby explained. "Don't be scared Ben."

"But you know for _sure _what it is, right?" Lisa asked Bobby, reaching out to finger Dean's un-gelled hair and caress his cheek with her thumb. "He looks good."

"Dean wouldn't ignore a cut from a rusty or dirty surface and iffin' he did, he'd be in far worse condition from the beat down Sam would give him for doin' so."

"The doctor did say it looked like he'd been beaten."

Bobby snorted, tugging his hat tighter on his head. "Damn woman, if Sam had beat the stuffin' outta him, he wouldn't be fine and he is. That bein' said, you didn't need to drive all the way out here." Bobby said eyes on Sam.

"And he hasn't woken up since he came in, right?"

"He would should someone make him."

"I'm not ready Bobby." Sam scowled. "Leave him alone."

"This isn't about you."

"Not now!" Sam's fists clenched, daring Bobby to push him in front of Ben. A challenge Bobby took up.

"Sam, wake him up."

"No." he thought he was being quite firm that he wasn't changing his mind so he didn't understand why Bobby didn't see that and stop pushing.

"Just wake him up, you know damn well…."

"That's the problem Bobby! I'm always asking him to do something he doesn't want to do and it's always something for me! I'm done, ok? Can you understand that?" he wasn't exactly shouting, but his voiced and anger clouded his eyes and creased his forehead. "Just….just leave him alone."

"Shit boy, he'd do anything for you."

"Yeah." he barked out a harsh huff. "I know and that's the problem."

This was not going well, Bobby sighed. "You wanna tell me what happened?"

"No." Sam rubbed his hands across his face. "He's ok Bobby, let it be."

"You sure of that?"

"Yes."

"That so?"

"Yes, Bobby, that is so! I know because he's not yelling and calling my name and ordering me to get him outta here. It's so because he's content to lie quietly and sleep without being medicated. I'm sure because he didn't need sedation for fighting the IV's nor has he insisted on getting out of bed and leaving on his own. This past week was…" he suddenly caught himself and shut up, seeing Ben's face whose eyes were wide and his jaw slack. "He didn't have a good week Bobby." he spoke more calmly. "I'm not putting him through anything else."

Ben backed away from Sam and hid behind his mother. She gave him a hug, hiding her own desire to put more distance between herself and Sam.

Bobby wanted to push Sam more, see if he could get the boy to crack and completely lose his temper, maybe then he'd open up and Bobby could find out what'd happened. Sam was so near the edge Bobby was sure he could push him over, because whatever happened, Sam hadn't come through it unscathed himself. Before he could reach a decision and act upon it, Sam pulled himself together and turned to Lisa.

"So, um… Lisa, what are you doing here?" while his tone wasn't overly friendly, it wasn't hostile either.

"A nurse from the hospital called me."

"Emergency contact on Dean's cell?" Bobby guessed. "Surprised you let them get that Sam."

"He has three Bobby, or four, so I missed one. I had other things on my mind."

"I called you Sam, it went to voicemail." Lisa said cautiously. "Several times."

"Cell's…" he paused as he tried to recall where he had left his phone. "In the car, I guess."

"They were hoping I was his wife. Apparently, you haven't been very cooperative." she chose her words carefully.

Sam snorted. "How the hell can I be? So, what? Tell them the truth? It's not a puncture wound, it's a bite? Convince them I didn't ignore his oh-so-obvious injury? Didn't deliberately delay getting him medical treatment? I know what they think Lisa. They're convinced I gave him those bruises and stabbed him with a rusty nail."

"Then why haven't they called the police?" Lisa questioned, looking at Bobby for an answer who shrugged in response.

"And why is he still here?" Bobby scratched his beard; more to keep his hands busy so he wouldn't give in to the urge to throttle Sam than because his chin itched. Oh, he had an itch alright, an itch to bodily shake Sam until he spit out all the details about what he'd been through with Dean.

"Because they can take care of him." Sam spat. "I can only do so much Bobby…. I needed to know if there was any internal damage." the effort it took for him to keep control was obvious. "And the police weren't called, because be it my voice, his ability to see me or the feel of my touch, he knows me."

"But Sam, dammit, they think someone beat the shit outta him, they think maybe you did it!" Bobby's voice went up several notches in ire. "You don't start answering some questions they're gonna call the police."

"Oh, he got the shit kicked outta him alright, but it wasn't by me!" Sam blew Bobby off.

"THEY DON'T KNOW THAT!" Bobby threw his hat, fighting the urge to imitate Gonzo and become hopping mad. "If Dean shows one sign of fear, you'll be in jail. All they need is to see him flinch and I'll need bail money. They want him to wake up and talk to them. They want their questions answered, their curiosity satisfied. They want to see if his story matches yours and the way you refuse and deny their requests makes it look like you're hiding something! I'm only trying to protect you Sam."

"Hell Bobby, I am!" Sam yelled right back. He didn't care where he was or who could hear him. "I'm hiding the fucking truth! You of all people should understand that!"

"Then man up and wake him the hell up! Get him the hell outta here." Bobby grabbed the front of Sam's jacket and gave him a shake. "What the hell are you waiting for?"

"Just giving him some time Bobby, that's all. I'm too tired to deal with him by myself."

"What the hell?!" Bobby gestured at himself. "I'M RIGHT HERE!"

"I didn't know…" Sam paused with a scowl. "I mean…you….."

"Can't you see what you're doing?"

"What Bobby? What exactly am I doing?" Sam threw his hands up. "I did nothing but order him around and demand he do things my way. All I did was make him more miserable than he already was. I guilt tripped him into doing whatever I wanted from him. I held him down, I held him still, I poured alcohol over that bite, I choked him with antibiotics that made him sick. I ignored the countless times he vomited because he swallowed whatever I shoved down his throat. I'd wake him up just to talk to me and told myself the circles under his eyes weren't because I wouldn't let him sleep. I knew he was in pain and I denied him the painkillers he knew we had. I let him shiver in the cold and turned a deaf ear when he begged for a blanket." he spun away to pace, nearing the door, but not leaving.

"He hurt Bobby! He hurt and he was sick and in pain and he was fucking miserable. I couldn't give him comfort or respite or relief. I couldn't give him or do anything for him to make him feel better." Sam gulped, shoulders heaving. "And now that he is here, now that he is warm and safe and content and not in pain and now that I can let him sleep without fearing he won't wake up…." his voiced broke and he took a moment to regain control. "He can sleep as long as he wants and no one, not even you, is going to make me wake him up. I'm sorry, I don't care what your reasons are, I can't, I just….no, just no, I can't." he took a deep breath. "I won't."

"Sam" Bobby tried but Sam cut him off with a palm in this face.

"I watched him go through that! _I put him through that!" _Sam pushed past Lisa and left the room. Bobby remained where he was, it was best to let Sam have some time to himself.

"Well, that went well." Bobby cursed. "Dammit."

"Sam's upset." Lisa had watched Dean through Sam's tirade but he hadn't twitched an eye.

"You think?" Bobby muttered. "Balls."

"Have you tried to wake him up?"

"No, thought I would try to take care of Sam first. Blew that." he sighed. "The doctor met with me when I got here. Dean's not unconscious. Few words from Sam and he'll rouse but doesn't respond. He's still not swallowing to good, so, they're giving him liquid Tylenol. Sam hasn't agreed to further treatment."

"They told you so much? They didn't tell me anything."

"I said I was their uncle."

"Will Sam be back?" Ben asked worriedly. "Where did he go?"

"Sure he will." Bobby assured the boy, watching him venture near the bed as Lisa leaned over the rail to grab Dean's hand. "He's not far Ben."

"Hey babe." she said softly in his ear. "Dean? It's Lisa, can you hear me? Ben's here, he'd like to say hi." she kept talking to him, one hand holding his, the other stroking his forehead and playing with his hair. She watched him intently for signs of recognition or response but she didn't even get an eye flicker. "Come on over Ben, he's asleep but you can say hi."

Ben crept closer to the bed, eyes darting at the door until he stood next to his mother. It wasn't just Sam that scared him. He didn't like seeing Dean lying so still and quiet. "Hey Dean." he tentatively reached out to touch Deans hand. "He's warm."

"Yes." Lisa hugged Ben. "It's hard to see him like this, isn't it? But he'll be up and around in a few days, you'll see." she turned her attention back to Bobby. "When did Sam bring him in?"

"Yesterday."

Dean stirred, startling Ben who snatched his hand away. He squirmed uneasily, breath hitching as his eyes blinked open and looked around the room. Bobby and Lisa watched him closely but his gaze never focused or settled on any one thing or person. What he was searching for wasn't there for him to see.

"Relax Dean." Bobby sighed tiredly. "Don't start this shit. I'm so sick of that battle waged between the two of you. He'll be right back."

Lisa had hoped her presence would've had some effect on Dean; that he would've heard her voice or felt her familiar caress and woken up so she was disappointed to realize that Dean was reacting to Sam's absence and not her presence.

"Why?" Ben asked Bobby. "Why does he miss Sam so much? He lived with us for a whole year and he was ok. He didn't need Sam then."

Lisa blinked at sudden tears and turned her face so Ben wouldn't see her distress. Bobby gave her a look. He remembered how well Dean had handled Sam's death after Cold Oak.

"Ben, honey, not all days were good ones for Dean when he first came to stay with us. You remember don't you? He didn't sleep well or eat much; he stayed to himself for a while."

"Yeah, I remember, you said he missed Sam."

"It was grief Ben, you take a while to get over loosing someone you love, and sometimes you might never get over it completely." Bobby offered in way of explanation. He would know, he'd lost Sam twice, buried Dean once.

"He's not grieving now."

"No." Lisa managed to keep the tears from her voice, lost in memories of the days Dean had wallowed in grief so deep she hadn't been able to reach him. The nightmares from which he woke screaming a name that wasn't hers, the paranoia, the excessive drinking, the days he simply sat and stared at nothing for hours and didn't speak. "But he's been hurt Ben and when someone is in that kind of pain, when there is fear, they tend to want who…..well…" she gave him a strained smile. "Dean wants Sam." she wiped at her eyes, taking the tissues Bobby offered.

"But we're here, doesn't he want us? Aren't we enough?"

"Not right now honey, no. Dean isn't thinking clearly, he's confused, he'll be better once he wakes up."

"So, why doesn't he wake up and talk to us? His eyes were open; doesn't he want to see us?"

"Yes, of course he does, just give him some time, okay?"

A nurse entered the room, coming in response to some monitor that had set to beeping. She gave them all a cheery smile as she flicked a switch to silence the machine. "Again Dean? Really? Hi, I'm Beth." she looked around. "Where's Sam?"

"He stepped out for a minute." Bobby explained.

"Oh-oh, which one of you said something to piss him off?" she grinned. "It's easy to do that, you know."

"That'd be me." Bobby grinned ruefully, waggling his fingers. "Guilty."

"Aahhh, well, you must be Uncle Bobby, and you must be Lisa." she chattered away. "These two are the talk of the floor, so, did either of you try waking Romeo?"

"No." Bobby admitted. "Sam wanted to let him sleep."

"Hey there Dean, wanna wake up and say hi to everyone?" she leaned over the bed. "Dean?"

"Robert Steven Singer!"

Four pairs of eyes swung to the open door. Ben took one look at the woman, of an age with Bobby, who stood there and ducked behind his mother. Lisa didn't blame him; she wanted to hide behind Bobby. This woman did not look friendly and she was definitely not happy.

"What the hell did you do to that poor boy?" she demanded, hands on her hips. "Calls me in tears, tears Bobby! That kid just dragged his brother through hell and we both know how well they know what that is and he never once shed a single tear. You're with him one hour and you make him cry! What the hell is the matter with you?"

"Olivia." Bobby spat in disbelief. "Olivia Tanner, good Christ, ain't you dead yet?"

"Tell me what the hell's going on." she ordered, poking at his chest with a finger. "What did you do to him?" she noticed Lisa and Ben peeking around from behind her. "You must be Lisa, and oh, little Ben, aren't you a cutie! SAM!" she bellowed. "Call me Livy, I'm an old friend of their fathers, haven't seen little Sam since he was maybe six or so. Dean though, well, John brought him around while Sam was away at college." she glanced over at the bed. "He's looking a lot better."

"He's asleep, they say he won't wake up and Sam won't make him." Ben had yet to stop hiding, but he felt it safe enough to speak.

"Well, who can blame him? Let the boy sleep as long as he wants, it's what he needs."

Sam came to the doorway, eyes brightening at sight of Livy. He avoided looking at Bobby and entered the room to accept the motherly hug Livy offered him in greeting.

"Got your earlier message the doctor said he was ok but they wanted to keep him for a day or two for observation. So sleeping beauty here hasn't woken up yet? Can't say I blame him, so, you doing ok? Looking a little rough there kiddo."

"Well, they haven't arrested me yet, so guess I'm doing good."

"Arrest you for what?"

"Holding him down, beating him up, giving him all those bruises, stabbing him with rusty nails and denying him medical help." Sam rubbed his eyes. He was tired, tired enough that he was ready to find a motel.

"Huh, well, to be fair, you did kinda hold him down and give him a fair amount of those bruises so I can see where they might be suspicious, but if you've been here with him since you brought him in, his response to you should prove differently."

"It does, it's the only reason they've left me alone." he paused. "Though they did steal his phone and call Bobby and Lisa." he shot Beth a dirty look. She gave him a saucy grin back.

"They called Bobby, not you? Sam, you promised me you would call him." Livy scolded gently.

Sam shrugged. "Never said when."

Livy frowned, lips pursed in displeasure, "You need a shower and change of clothes, have you eaten anything?"

"Um, yeah. Bobby brought me a sandwich."

"You never touched it Sam." Bobby spoke up. "And I brought him clean clothes, what the hell's with you?"

"Are you letting him stay another night?" Olivia asked Sam, ignoring Bobby.

"Guess." he pushed his hands through his matted hair, fingers tangling in the clumps. "Until he wakes up."

"Might be best to let him have this time where he can ignore his pain and discomfort. He'll wake up on his own when his body is willing to pick up the fight." Olivia agreed. "He's not in a coma, and he knows where he is."

"What the hell kind of advice is that?" Bobby demanded in annoyance. "Good god, woman! I say, if he's good to go, we get the hell outta here."

"Bobby, you have no idea…." she began calmly.

"They were with you? You ….oh my god…..?" Bobby cut her off, horrified. He didn't know whether to be angry or upset. "You of all people? Why?"

"Dean suffered a bite Bobby, the symptoms…."

"What bit him?" Bobby asked, for the moment he was calm. "I understand Livy, I truly do, but I need to know what happened! I can't help Sam if I don't know what happened. What are they doing here with you? Does Sam even remember you? Why would Dean bring him to you?"

"Believe it or not, Dean has kept in touch." her arms crossed defiantly across her chest. "And I called them."

"You were close to John, I'll give you that, but dammit Livy….."

"You and me." she pointed a finger at Bobby. "Outside now." they didn't need to hash out their anger with one another in front of Sam. She didn't wait to see how Bobby reacted to her command. She strode out of the room, knowing damn well he would follow. Beth did as well; disappointed that Dean wouldn't be waking up, she was eager to meet the man who the face and body belonged to.


	2. Chapter 2

"So, um, Sam." Ben edged up to the bed once Livy and Bobby had left. "He's gonna be ok, isn't he?"

Sam rested his elbows on the bedrail and let his head hang. He so didn't want to reassure the kid; it wasn't his place and he had neither the patience nor the inner strength to deal with him. Handling kids wasn't one of his strong points, it was Dean's.

"Yeah Ben, he's gonna be fine, just needs a couple of days."

"Did you have to take care of him?"

"Um….yeah….guess…..sure." he shrugged, wondering why the kid kept talking and why his mother didn't tell him to shut up.

"Did he nearly die?"

Sam kept his head lowered and hid a wince. Ben didn't notice, but Lisa did. She knew she should stop Ben and give Sam some time to re-group but she wanted answers as much Ben did.

"No…I wouldn't let that happen."

"But...if you hadn't been with him, he could have." Ben pushed. "Died, I mean."

Sam swallowed hard, interlacing his fingers together in a futile attempt to stop his hands from shaking. He raised his head to stare at the boy to whom Dean meant so much. The lump remained lodged in this throat; his return had taken Dean away from Lisa and torn from Ben the comfort and security Dean had provided as a father figure. Ben's eyes were wide, the expression on his face earnest.

"Guess so." Sam admitted quietly.

"Thank you." Ben said somberly. "I'm glad you were with him. I wish he hadn't been out there at all, that he still lived with us where nothing like this happens but if he's gonna be out there, at least he's not out there alone. So, how did he get hurt anyway?"

"We were on a hunt, he got bit and..…well, a supernatural bite can have different symptoms and cause an illness that…" Sam had to take a moment, his eyes were watering and his voice was husky with emotion he couldn't control. He caught Lisa's eye and held her gaze steady even though he wanted to look away. "Not everything is healed or cured with medicine Ben."

Her look said if Sam hadn't come back, Dean would still be with her, safe at home and not in a hospital recovering from some illness caused by something evil. His look said he'd been willing to allow Dean to continue the life he had with Lisa but had expected Lisa to accept him as part of Dean's life.

He was the first to turn away. He hadn't been the one to make Dean choose. Sam was sorry it had come to that but all he'd wanted was to spend time with his brother and he wasn't going to go away. Lisa gave Ben some time with Dean then sent him off to find a vending machine so she could speak to Sam without having to mind her words or watch what she said.

"Can we talk?" she stood opposite Sam, the bed between them.

"I'd rather not." he stood up, stretching his back. "I know Lisa, ok, so save it. You're glad I'm ok but not happy that I'm back. When you opened your door and accepted Dean into your life, you never counted on me coming back and you never expected Dean to hunt again."

"He was content Sam, he was living a normal life, he'd gotten through the worst of losing you and he was out, he'd gotten out." she paused. "He wanted out."

"He wanted me alive."

She flinched. There was no way to deny that, all Dean had ever wanted was his brother. "He was out." she repeated softly.

"He wasn't happy Lisa. I know him better than anybody, better than you ever will. He was never himself while with you. He may have been content, and yeah, he was living a life, but as long as he knew where I was, he never would have been happy."

"You stayed away for a year!"

"Not away." he corrected softly. "Out of touch."

"Yet you finally came for him."

"He chose to stay with you."

"Yeah, and how well did that turn out?" she asked bitterly, she was pushing and she knew better but she couldn't stop herself.

"I never made him chose Lisa, you did."

"I told him to go, to join you, to come home when he could."

"But did you ever tell him you accepted I was back? That you understood I would always be a part of his life? That no matter what he or I decided to do, we would always be near one another?" he was too tired to fight, too tired to think straight, and too tired to give Lisa an argument that made sense. "Call it fate, call it destiny, call it whatever the hell you want, but there is a force greater than our human will that drives us back to one another. Even without the most essential part of me, I couldn't walk away from him. I know what he went through, I know what it cost him to let me go and I know he never got over it."

"He did." she insisted stubbornly but without conviction.

"Oh Lisa! Come on!" Sam threw his hands up in disgust and spun around to pace back and forth to the window. "You really want to relive it? Seriously? He didn't eat, he didn't sleep. He'd sit for hours and stare at nothing. He'd go into blind rages and hit or punch and kick anything that was in his way. How many nights did you ice his fists? How often did he wake up screaming and wouldn't talk at all? How much alcohol did it take to get him through the day? How many books did he read? How much research did he do? It consumed him until exhaustion was the only reason he got any sleep. How often did you find him slumped over or passed out on the floor? Don't deny he didn't scare you Lisa, been there, I was the one with him when our dad died."

"He got better Sam, time passed and he started to heal…" she wiped tears from her eyes before they could spill over. Nothing Sam just said wasn't true but hearing it tore at her. "He made a life with us."

"_I know!" _Sam threw himself against the wall near the window. "He accepted Lisa. I didn't send him to you because you were the best woman for him, I sent him because he needed someone in his life that cared about him. You were strong enough to handle his life, knew what he did. You experienced it first hand and you never sent him away from you in horror. He wouldn't have survived on his own. He would've kept hunting and been dead within a month, a hunt gone wrong."

"You don't know that."

"Yeah, yeah I do. It's what I did, or tried to do. I know because that's exactly what I went through; the failure to get him back."

"I'm back!" Beth announced waving an ear thermometer as she entered, waiting for Sam to turn from the window to see what she wanted.

"He hasn't run a fever since he got here."

"Thirty seconds." she huffed, sending Sam a smile as he approached the bed. Dean stirred, eyes blinking open and lazily searching the room, focusing first on Sam.

"Hey." Sam greeted easily watching as Dean's eyes continued to search the room and come to rest on Lisa. Sam saw the recognition register in the green depths but doubted Lisa did and he wondered if her presence would bring Dean fully awake.

"Normal." Beth announced. "But then you knew that, didn't you?" she turned to Lisa "Guess he doesn't want to wake up and greet you either, my name's Beth. I don't remember if I introduced myself earlie. I'm Sam's favorite nurse." she gave Sam a wink.

"Sam's? Not Dean's?

Beth gave a snort. "Sir Handsome here doesn't want anything to do with me." she poured liquid Tylenol into a plastic cup and offered it to Dean. He actually looked at her before letting his eyes slant and turning away.

"Not personal." Sam told her with a tired grin, he was at ease with Beth and Lisa wished he would respond to her in that easy-going way. "He doesn't trust easily."

"Harrumph!" she waited for Dean to part his lips and swallow the Tylenol. "My feelings are hurt. I'm off at three. A cup of coffee will make me feel better."

"Cafeteria and you've got a date." Sam agreed taking the cup from her. He could use a break and both Bobby and Lisa were around to stay with Dean. Not that it mattered if anyone stayed with him or not.

"So, IV for hydration?" Lisa asked. "No meds?"

"Nope, no meds, we had him on antibiotics to help him fight the infection but they only made him sick, he didn't respond well at all to them." she gave Sam a dirty look when he handed her the empty cup. "Sure, he swallows for you. Poor boy needs to eat."

"For Christ sake, it's been days, not weeks." Sam groaned. "Give him a chance to wake up!"

"See you at three." Beth gave him a playful punch. "Take a nap, grumpy, bye Lisa."

"We done?" Sam asked Lisa. "I'm gonna go find a motel, take a shower…..be back later."

***000***

Sam didn't come back until close to eight that evening. He'd showered and changed and looked like he had actually taken a decent nap. Bobby hadn't been happy to find Sam had left but now decided maybe it hadn't been such a bad idea after all. It even appeared that the boy had eaten a meal as well.

He didn't speak or greet the four people in the room when he returned. In fact, he ignored them all and approached the bed to relax on the rail. "Dean." he said quietly. "Dean, hey." he nudged him in the shoulder. "Wake up. I know you can hear me. Dean come on, I need to talk to you."

It didn't take long before Dean was looking at him, eyes coming into focus as his gaze locked on Sam, narrowing as he observed him. "You showered." Dean's voice was a husky whisper. "Mmm, ow, and shaved."

"Um, yeah."

"You smell better." he looked around the room; saw Bobby and Livy then Lisa, finally Ben. "Livy? What are you doing here?"

"Came to see why you were still sleeping."

"Ben?" he shifted his position slightly as Ben came up to the bed. "Well hey kiddo." his eyes searched for and locked with Lisa's. "Hey Leez."

"You're awake." Ben said shyly. "Sam refused to wake you up earlier when we got here. Bobby yelled at him."

It was Livy who received Dean's dirty look. "Cause I was sleeping, huh?" Livy just shrugged so Dean turned to Sam.

"You doin' ok?"

"Me? Yeah…..yeah, I'm fine." he shot Olivia a quick glance. "How you feeling?"

"The doctor thinks he beat you up." Ben explained eagerly, now that Dean was awake, he wanted Dean's attention. "And that he made you sick, he says he didn't though."

Dean tilted his head back to eyeball his now silent brother who avoided looking at him, head down, hair hiding his face. "Sam?" his tone held a warning. "Why didn't you just wake me up so they could ask me?"

"Cause, you needed….you were…..just cause."

"You put yourself through more shit." Dean sighed tiredly. "Hey Bobby. What're'ya doin' here? You didn't need to drive out here. We'll be coming to your house soon enough."

"The hospital called."

"Huh? What? The hospital called you?" he reached out to fist Sam under his chin, knocking his head up. "You didn't call Bobby? How come?" Sam pulled back out of Dean's reach, still staring down at his own hands. "Lisa? Did he call you?"

"No, the hospital did."

"He called me!" Livy sang out gaily. "I'll just go get the nurse and let her know you're awake. I know they have questions for you."

"How you feeling?" Bobby asked. "Up to telling me what the hell happened? Tell me what bit you? What were you doing here anyway? Did you come to see Olivia? Why the hell would you bring Sam to her in the first place? I don't like that you did that Dean, not at all."

"We gotta do this now? Can't it wait?" Dean didn't want to whine, but he was not up to answering the questions Bobby was throwing at him. Sam obviously wasn't talking to anyone and if Dean was going to address anything that would be it.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Skelley, good to see you finally awake, I was considering calling in a specialist. Care to tell me what happened? How you got those injuries?"

"My brother and I were hunting up on Ridge Drive. Guess we wandered unknowingly onto someone else's turf, next thing we know, we were jumped, got into a fight." Dean met the doctor's eyes without flinching or even blinking, he was a pro at lying through his teeth.

"How many of them were there?"

"Just two, we hiked down, found Livy's place and holed up."

"How were you hurt?"

"Guess the tree limb they used to knock me around had a nail or something."

"You guess?"

"Well gee doc, kinda fighting for my life, didn't stop to admire their choice of weapon."

"Why didn't you come in right after it happened?"

"We did soon as the symptoms started."

The doctor nodded, Dean's story matched what little Sam had revealed and it satisfied him. "Feel at all hungry?" the doctor asked without much hope of an affirmative answer.

"No, should I?"

"Was hoping you might."

"Huh." he stared at Sam trying to figure that one out. "When can I go home?"

"Let's see how you're able to keep food down. You didn't respond well to antibiotics and unless it's liquid Tylenol, you won't take any meds." the doctor was writing on a clipboard. "You aren't eager to swallow anything, at all, care to explain that?"

No, Dean squirmed uneasily, he didn't want to explain anything, how could he? He couldn't very well tell the doctor it hadn't been a regular infection that had taken him down. His throat gave him the most trouble and he wasn't ready to try swallowing any size pill; recent memories of choking up blood in Sam's arms hanging over the side of the tub made him pale. How did he constantly find himself in these situations?

"Thought as much." the doctor put the clipboard down and pocketed his pen. "So, where is home?"

"Where?" Dean echoed looking at Sam who still refused to meet his eyes.

"Yes, where. Are you from around here or did you come to this area just to hunt?"

Dean frowned as Sam stiffened and his fingers clasped one another until his knuckles went white, wondering what his defensive posture was all about.

"He lives with me." Sam said quietly.

"And where is that Sam?" Lisa knew she should keep her tongue but she couldn't help herself. She wanted Dean to take a side. She knew he would choose and knew she wouldn't win but she had to see him do it. She was hurt, her emotions battered and her jealousy over Sam was out of control. "Where is home these days Sam?"

Sam was startled into giving her a surprised look, hurt flashed in his eyes before he was able to mask his emotions. He didn't duck from her attack though, meeting it head on. "Where it's always been, with me."

"Always Sam?" her tone caused Dean to give her an uneasy look. "You weren't with him when I first met him."

"Aah, Lisa?" Bobby shook his head with a frown.

"And just how do you intend to take care of him?" Lisa continued with her attack.

"Like I always do Lisa, like I always have. How the hell do you expect to do any better? You work every day, how would you…..you know, protect him?"

"I have a home Sam. What do you have? The car? Some dingy, seedy, unclean motel room with dirty sheets, warm water and take-out food? Some abandoned house you find to squat in? That's your idea of home?"

"Sioux Falls." Sam stated flatly. "You got a problem with that?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Uh, Sam." Dean roused up to a half way sitting position, all senses coming alert.

"And what problem is that Lisa, why don't you explain it to me, slowly, like I'm Ben?" the insult wasn't lost on her and it made her angry.

"You can lose the sarcasm Sam, it's uncalled for." Lisa spat angrily, the gloves were off and she was more than ready for this confrontational show down with Sam. "It simply makes more sense for him to come home with me."

"Not gonna happen."

"He's familiar with my house Sam, it's his home and it's safe and secure…." Sam snorted in derision. "….and clean. Hell, it's sterile compared to Bobby's house. He's susceptible to rampant infection, Bobby lives at a salvage yard, I mean, seriously? Rats, rust, disease, mold." she forged on despite the looks from the three hunters. "You can't possibly believe he will be content at a motel. Every noise and smell will make him jump. You won't dare leave him alone, he will stress out and panic if you do and he will seek comfort from a bottle. The maid knocking on the door will send him for his gun. Every stranger's voice he hears will have him chanting in Latin. That's what you want for him? That's good enough for you?"

"I'm not stupid Lisa and I don't care what you think or how you feel about me. I am _not_ ignorant of his health. I know how sick he was and I'm well aware of the danger he still faces. God, do I know. I gave him everything he needed and will continue to do so. Thank you for your selfish offer to take him home and take care of him, but he's not going anywhere with you."

"He can rest and recover with me and Ben. Give him the choice."

"No.." Sam seethed, struggling to hold in his temper. "You don't get a say in this Lisa. No one, not you, not Bobby, no one in this hospital is going to tell me what to do."

"I'm not suggesting you two separate. God do I know how impossible it is to do that, you can come visit, stay a day or two…."

"Either you are not hearing me or I am not making myself clear." Sam all but spit the words at her in a tone Bobby had never heard him use before. "This isn't a decision you get to make." his hand was in her face. "I can't…not be with him. Not again….I…I won't."

"Sam, be reasonable….." she tried but Bobby stepped in front of her and warned her silent with a vigorous shake of his head.

"You need to back off." Sam said quietly in a tone that had Bobby's hackles rising and Dean rousing. "I'm really trying to keep control here Lisa, but I can't handle being pushed any further."

"All-right, hey, ok, okay." Dean managed to sit up and gain his knees on the bed. He reached out and grabbed Sam's hand, squeezing his wrist. "Easy Sam, chill out." his hand covered Sam's fist. "Okay?"

Sam swallowed hard, struggling for control, he was freaking out and what he had to hold onto was Dean. Bobby hadn't been at all supportive, the hospital personnel hadn't been friendly and now here was Lisa threatening to take Dean away from him and he couldn't handle there was a chance Dean would want to go with her.

"Ok?" Dean sure hoped so because he couldn't remain on his knees much longer. Days of being sick and not eating and battling pain and illness and infection took a toll on a person's body, strength and stamina. "Sammy? Hey, come on, ok?" he eased onto his hip, biting his lower lip to hide a wince. "Sam?"

"Lay down, you ass." Sam shook his hand free. "What the hell do you think I'm gonna do?"

"Just….stop. We'll go to Bobby's, whatever you want, ok?"

"Why don't you want to come home with us?" Ben asked. "Mom will take good care of you. I'll help her, we've done it before."

"Ben, I can't…"

"Sam can come too."

"I don't think your Mom would like that too much."

"I said lie down." Sam pulled his attention back to him. "And go back to sleep, you've caused enough trouble."

Dean didn't need to be told a third time. He laid down and eased onto his side. "You sure you want to go to Bobby's? We can hole up where ever you want or we can go back to Livy's for a while."

"Bobby's is fine." Sam assured him, knowing Dean would be happy there. "Go back to sleep."

"Bobby might not want us, we're too much trouble."

"Now just a damn minute! That there is just nonsense!" Bobby protested. "Damn fools, you need to go to ground, you come home."

"See Sam? All settled."

"Sleep." Sam made the order sound like a threat and once Dean slept, he slipped from the room without a word to anyone.

The doctor had long since left and Lisa decided it was time to take Ben and find a hotel for the night. Livy slapped Bobby along the side of his head.

"Damn you woman, what was that for?!" he exclaimed. "Dratted interfering females." he muttered, rubbing at his abused ear.

"Can you make him feel any more unwanted? Any more of a burden?" she hissed in fury.

"I'd never throw him outta my life Olivia." Bobby protested. "He knows that."

"Dense and dumb old man." Livy approached the bed. She called to Dean softly, tickling along his left armpit.

"What the hell are you doing?" Bobby sputtered. "I swear, throttling interfering females outta be legal."

"Oh, for heaven's sake, relax." she waved a hand at him dismissively. "Dean, come on sweetie." she tickled under his chin, fingers light and caressing. "Yoo-hoo! Wake up Dean."

"Olivia, dammit, you …..!"

"Oh phish, Bobby, how much longer do you think Sam is going to hold it together? He loses his temper and yells at the wrong person, he'll be removed from the premises by security and arrested. If he freaks out he'll be locked up and tied down in the psych ward. Either way, he won't be allowed to see Dean. Then what do you do?" she shook her head. "What have these quacks told you? Dean looks a hell of a lot better than he did when he left my house. Sure, he was in some pain, did he feel good? No, probably not. This isn't about Dean any longer, now it's about Sam. Dean, come on luv, wake up!" she smacked his cheek.

"Olivia, you need…." Bobby was cut off when Dean's eyes flickered, blinking until he could focus then turning from the light. Lisa watched him wake up, waiting to see if he was actually awake this time.

"Livy?" he squirmed rubbing with this right fist at his right eye. He tried to raise his left arm but the pull of the needle stopped him. "What the fu….ow!"

"Yeah, called a needle." Livy said dryly. "Twenty minutes ago, you were all over the bed. You forget that quickly? Why are you causing trouble?

"I'mma in trouble?" he yawned. "What'd I do?"

"You haven't been behaving." she felt his forehead, then held his hand, rubbing his fingers briskly between her hands. Lisa frowned in vexation when Dean submitted to Livy's touch without complaint. He let her push the blankets aside and pull his shirt up to expose his belly, easing to his hip when she snapped her fingers against his side, wanting to see the bite on his hip.

Lisa forcefully pushed down her rising irritation, jaw clenched, and hands fisted. Livy knew where Dean had been hurt and was quite comfortable poking and prodding any part of him she wanted. What bothered her was how at ease Dean was with her, how he tolerated her wandering hands without looks of disgust or impatient sighs.

She didn't care that Olivia was old enough to be his mother; the red-head and Dean were entirely too familiar with one another for her comfort. Dean, to the day he left her home, had always flinched and ducked away from her unexpected touch. He had to be completely awake and aware for her to even reach out to him without fear of him drawing back a fist. He'd never laid a hand on either her or Ben but she'd never dared to abruptly awaken him and he'd never accepted her touch with the ease he did Livy's.

"How's your throat? Let me see, say Aahhh!" she cooed. "Still peeing blood?"

"How the hell would I know?" he asked crossly.

"So." she ran her fingers through his hair, pushing it back off his forehead. "Sam said he was going to let you spend the night." her thumb caressed his cheek, palm cupping his chin and Lisa all but growled when Dean actually turned into the gesture. Having had enough, she jumped to her feet and pushed Livy aside.

"What the hell Dean!" Lisa was angry. Hell, she was livid. "You will barely look at me, yet she can waltz in here, all but undress you, run her hands all over you and not only do you let her, you take comfort from her? Just how well do you know her?"

"Hell, Lisa, I've known her most of my life." his eyes widened. "This isn't the first time I went to her to heal up after a bad hunt."

"You lived with me for a year, a year Dean! You never accepted my touch like you just did hers. Never, not once! She woke you up and you didn't jerk to awareness with a pulled fist, searching for a weapon under your pillow! I always had to tiptoe around the house when you were asleep; scared to make noise or do anything that would awaken you! I didn't dare let Ben anywhere near you for fear you would shoot first and never ask questions and she can tease you awake with a few sweet words? You flinched from my touch, pushed me away, turned away from me and she can caress your cheek?!"

"Leez….." Dean was at a loss at what to say, he hadn't realized the ease in which he accepted Livy.

"Save it, don't say something, nothing is going to make this better." she took a deep breath. "You never talked to me, never told me everything that happened. I accepted you and gave you what you would take and it was precious little. I would have done anything for you, given you anything you needed, but I get it, I get it now… I couldn't give you what you wanted most."

Dean lowered his head, blinking at tears as his hands fisted the blankets. He really didn't need this now.

"But she could, couldn't she? Is that it Dean? She had Sam and he is all you ever wanted."

"Lisa, that's not fair." Bobby spoke up. "You took Dean in, took on his burden and it wasn't easy. I know you did what you could for him and you and Ben were what he had and he made the best of it. But Lisa, you knew, you knew the bond between them was that strong."

"At what point, Bobby, does he get to live his life for himself? Sam was never supposed to come back."

"Maybe he never does. Maybe it only takes a woman who is willing to accept Sam."

"Bobby!" Dean scolded as Lisa bit her knuckle and turned away, determined not to cry. "Back off!"

"It's called honesty Dean. I'm being honest, not mean. She makes it sound like you're the one who won't let go. Doesn't she realize he's never going to stand for being separated from you?"

"Okay. The issue here is Dean not doing anything to further upset Sam." Olivia cut in. She cocked her head. "You with it enough to tell us how you feel?"

"I'm okay." Dean let the argument with Bobby go for the time being. "Why?"

"If they decide to call the authorities for any reason, Sam will run and he sure as hell ain't gonna leave you here." Bobby explained. "Said he'd call Cas."

"Who?" Olivia asked. "Cas…..ooh, you mean Castiel. Ok, I'll go find Sam. Lisa, I feel for you, I truly do, but Sam has been Dean's since birth. He was four when I first met him; he stood holding Dean's hand, sucking his thumb while Dean waved good-bye to their Dad. Sam never even said good-bye. And every time John left Sam with me and took Dean with him, it wasn't his Dad Sam ran to upon their return. Either accept Sam, because to love one is to have them both in your life, or let Dean go."

Ben was lost; he couldn't follow the adult conversation and didn't understand what they were saying so he moved over to Dean's bed while Lisa and Bobby continued to argue quietly.

"You feeling ok?" he asked Dean shyly.

"Yeah sport, I'm good. How you holding up?"

"You're gonna go with Sam, huh? Leave us again for him?"

"Um, sorry Ben, really, I am so sorry, but…..yeah."

"Can't you just come home for a little while? Maybe until you're better?"

"I can't. Can you see your mom and Sam living together in the same house?" he joked. "Because that's what it would come to kid."


	3. Chapter 3

"Found him!" Olivia announced cheerfully. Sam didn't look at all thrilled with the rooms current occupants but he remained silent. "Here Sam, feed your brother." she handed him a jello cup.

"I'm not hungry." Dean muttered, tousling Ben's hair as he turned his attention to Sam. "Hey."

"Yeah, well, about that." Sam pulled the lid from the cup. "You don't get to make that decision. In fact, you don't really get to make any decisions for a while."

"Why's that?" he scowled, nose wrinkling in distaste at the jello. "I don't want that."

"Punishment." Sam stuck the spoon in the wiggly lime jello and held it out to Dean. "For scaring the hell outta me. Now eat or I will hold you down and Bobby will spoon feed you."

Dean's glare was full of irritation. Sam returned one of amusement. His threat wasn't an idle one; he'd done it before only it had been Olivia who had forced the spoon between his teeth. Dean snarled, Sam grinned.

"I'd rather shove a spoon between your teeth than a tube up your nose." Sam offered in way of a truce.

"I'd rather you did neither."

"Then don't reduce me to performing an act of violence against you."

"One day soon, I will be strong enough to kick your ass." he took the container of jello. "Green?' his lip curled in disgust and he handed the cup back, Sam didn't take it.

"Only other flavor was orange."

Dean laid his head back with a weary sign, eating was the last thing he felt like doing. His throat ached from all the talking he'd been advised against doing, his head ached from the tension with Lisa and his stomach wasn't exactly feeling very cooperative either.

"Not feeling so good, huh?" Sam said quietly. "We'll clear out soon as you eat and you can get some sleep."

"You going to a motel with Bobby?"

"Sure, we'll be back in the morning."

"Sam, go with him." Dean wearily pleaded. He didn't want to push but neither did he want Sam off on his own.

"I said I would." he knew Dean didn't care for jello but it was what the nurse at the desk had given him. With his throat being raw and swollen, Sam wasn't going to push Dean to eat if he really didn't want to.

Dean played with the jello, stirring it and stabbing it with the spoon, watched it wiggle and jiggle. He didn't want it, didn't want anything. Cursing the fate that allowed his brother the ability to guilt him into doing whatever he wanted, he parted his teeth, inserted the spoon and managed to swallow without gagging. Jello was easy to eat and he finished the cup and asked for some ginger ale. Bobby left to get a can and Olivia reached out to take hold of Dean's hand. He narrowed his eyes, knowing she had to touch him to read his emotions.

"Do you want someone to spend the night with you?" she asked. "Me? Lisa? I can take Ben home with me. Or Bobby? I'll just take Sam to my house." he noticed she didn't offer to allow Sam to stay but didn't call her on it. He knew Sam needed a chance to get some decent sleep.

"I'll be fine Livy, all I want to do is sleep."

"Ok, but will you be able to do so by yourself? If you insist, really insist, Sam will stay, spend the night."

"I'll be fine. Just gonna sleep." he gave her a lopsided grin, eyes drooping for emphasis.

Bobby returned with the ginger ale and a nurse who Sam eyed with distrust. Dean caught the face his brother didn't bother to hide and prepared himself to guard his responses to her. He didn't want to give Sam any reason to become so upset he wouldn't leave. Sam came to stand beside the bed, open hostility on his face, he didn't like this nurse.

"You need to step out." she told him bluntly. "And you all need to leave, visiting hours are over." she shot Sam a look, sniffing in his direction. "Except you, you get to stay the night...again."

Sam's hands curled around the bedrail but he managed to keep his tongue. The others had followed the nurse's request and stepped out of the room.

"Would you step outside?" she waited, fully expecting him to obey her command as it was not a request.

"No."

"I just need to check him over…" she began.

"Go ahead." Sam wasn't budging.

"Now see here…" she turned on Sam in anger, ready to order him to leave or have security called.

"It's ok." Dean interrupted, not liking either her tone or the way she spoke to Sam. "Leave him alone. Relax Sam, ok? Just chill."

"I don't like her."

"You don't have to like her." Dean rolled his eyes. "If I'm not allowed privacy, at least give her some room? Can you do that?"

Sam moved over to the window, back against the heater, crossed his arms over his chest and stared the nurse down. He gave her a smirk. "Don't pull the curtain either." his lip curled into a sneer, daring her to comment. She wisely remained silent and turned her back on him.

Dean wanted to curl up on his side, bury his face under the pillow and pull the blankets up to his ears. Maybe if he could hide from the world, he wouldn't have to deal with the tension everyone around him was creating. He deserved some time to himself and be left alone.

Instead, he laid still and tolerated the exam, biting his tongue to ride out any discomfort she caused because he didn't want to give Sam a reason to go off. He wasn't prepared for her to jab a q-tip directly into the bite wound and whatever was on it, burned like a bitch and he couldn't stop his reaction. He yelped, doubling up on his side. Before he could catch his breath, Sam was between the nurse and the bed; his stance clearly ready for confrontation.

"Don't sta-art an-nee-th-thing." Dean stuttered, biting down on a groan, waiting for the burning sensation to stop, panting as he rode it out. "Mmm, Christ-Amighty!"

"You're done." Sam announced, pointing to the door. "Get out."

"No, I'm not."

"Girlfriend…get out before…. he throws you…..out." Dean managed to gasp out. He closed his eyes and tried to relax. He gave her credit for not being scared of Sam but took away points for being stupid enough not to realize the danger she was in.

"I'll be back." she gathered her equipment and left the room.

"I'm not leaving you here alone with her all night." Sam said. "The bitch." he popped a straw into the can of ginger ale and handed it to Dean who slowly stretched out to take it.

"You need to go to bed Sam, go with Bobby to a motel." he sipped the cold soda, closing his eyes to enjoy the soothing balm against his throat as he swallowed. "She's…human, right?" he waited for Sam's nod of affirmation. "Then go with Bobby, I'll be ok."

"I had a shower and a nap earlier today. I even had dinner, I'm fine."

"Big boy here Sam, I've been in the hospital before."

"Don't go there." Sam warned abruptly. "Christ Dean, what the hell?"

"Okay, ok, sorry, bad memories. Bobby can stay until she's off duty and you go home with Olivia."

"Motel." Sam corrected as the others came back in to say good-night and Sam took the opportunity to slip from the room.

"Now where the hell is he going?" Bobby demanded irritably. "I'm ready to leave. I'd like to get something to eat and go to bed, been a long day."

"You're staying."

"I am? I thought you were ok being alone? I give up, hell…"

"Sam doesn't like that nurse Bobby. If you don't stay, he will and I don't want him here. He's been pushed far enough, he goes any longer and he'll crack, you wanna chance that?"

"And what? Send him back to a motel by himself? He's in no condition to be alone Dean."

"I know, Livy will stay at the motel with him."

"Of course I will." Olivia nodded. "Surprised, he doesn't want to take you out of here though." she said no more as Sam entered the room. "Hey Sam."

"He's fine. We'll be back in the morning." Sam collected his jacket. "Need me, call me, motel is five minutes away."

Lisa turned to Olivia. "Do you have half an hour or so to grab a coffee? I know it's late and Ben is tired, but….."

"Of course, I assume you're in the same motel as Sam? Good, there's a twenty-four hour café next door, Ben can go to bed. Sam will be close by to keep an eye on him, and you and I can have some girl time." Olivia swept Lisa from the room before Sam could even open his mouth to argue.

"Okay then, night all." Bobby said to the empty room. "Guess I'll just make myself…." he eyed the chair Sam had occupied earlier with distaste. "Comfy."

***000***

The women each ordered an iced tea and salad, more for something to do with their hands than because they were hungry. They took a seat at a window table to watch the street activity.

"You really care about him, don't you?" Olivia remarked gently. "More than you even know."

"It doesn't matter."

"No, probably not, not as long as you hate Sam."

"I don't." Lisa said honestly. "I don't hate Sam. I hate the hold - bond - he has with Dean. I'm jealous of that bond, that….connection that leads to a relationship I can't understand or be a part of."

"I questioned John about raising those boys in the life, on the road but, well….." she crunched on a crouton. "Dean knew about hunting by the time I met him. He was only eight and it was already too late to protect his childhood innocence. John and I had a blow-up and I didn't see the boys much after that. Then Dean got hurt and John brought him to me to heal and go to ground until Dean was back on his feet. Sam was at school."

"So, you had a relationship with John. Are you a hunter?"

"No, but I'm part of the hunter's world….. Hasn't Dean ever talked about it? Any of it?"

"Not really. He was with us for a year and the first couple months were hard. God they were awful, he told me some things, but he kept to himself. It was never important, if he wanted to talk I listened, I never pushed." she bit into her lettuce. "Maybe I should have."

Olivia reached out to pat Lisa's hand. "I wish things had turned out differently for you, I truly do."

Lisa nodded. "Can you tell me anything about the time they just spent with you? You brought Dean jello and though he didn't want it, he ate it, he doesn't even like jello."

"Anyone who's ever spent time recovering in a hospital hates jello." she smiled. "I asked for pudding but they didn't have any at the nurse's desk. Can't be too picky off hours now, can we?"

"Aaah? Pudding?"

"Warm chocolate pudding is a great comfort food. It's easy to swallow, soothes an upset stomach, chases away chills and makes a person feel good to know that someone took the time to boil milk and make it. His throat was so raw and swollen, he could barely swallow. And finding something hot he would drink, HA! He refused tea, coffee, warm milk, beef and chicken broth, hot chocolate, Sam finally woke up and suggested warm brandy….I had my doubts, but…"

"Dean? Drink brandy? No. Whiskey? Rum? Scotch? Bourbon? Even vodka, sure, always, but brandy? Not once in all the time he was with me."

"He will in a hot toddy." Olivia said gently. "Sam told me how to make it, hot tea, some sugar to take the bite from a generous amount of warm brandy. I didn't have any lemon or honey, so I added a touch of milk. He didn't seem to mind, though lemon would have been good for his throat. He just lay there with Sam and took the mug but Sam still had to steady it, Dean's hands were numb and he was still shaking pretty bad…"

"Lay there with Sam? What do you mean, lay there with Sam?"

"He needed the body heat to prevent hypothermia. Sam was able to pull him out of the creek before any serious harm happened, but the water was still freezing so hypothermia was a danger. We had to get him warm and dry, he was weak to begin with, fighting that infection, the easiest, quickest way to do that, is to draw heat from another person…."

"OK! That Is It!" Lisa pressed her fingertips to her temples, then banged a fist on the table. "I've heard enough bits and pieces, I want the whole story and by god, someone is going to give it to me." she violently stabbed a tomato in her salad. "The year he lived with me, he never ate pudding, never drank brandy and never willingly…." she couldn't say it. "Damn it."

"Tomorrow Lisa, honest, Sam might not tell you all what happened, but I will. Bobby will want to know as well, so we'll wait until we're all together, ok?" she paused. "But be prepared, you won't like what you hear and you won't get the outcome you're hoping far, Dean will still go with Sam."

***000***

Sam didn't arrive the following morning until after eleven o'clock. Lisa and Ben were already there with Bobby and Dean slept.

"Where's Livy?" Bobby asked.

"We had breakfast and she went home." Sam said. "You never came back last night."

"Damn nurse was on 'til seven this morning." Bobby groused. "Hung around but she didn't go near him." he rubbed his hands over his face, scratching at his jaw. He was to damn old to sleep upright in a chair.

"He been awake?" Sam asked.

"No." Bobby retorted. "We leaving today?"

"I'm awake." Dean chimed in. "Who can sleep with all the yakking."

"We'll see."

Beth soon popped in and allowed Sam to help Dean out of bed and over to the bathroom then joined Bobby in the doorway. Dean shut the door in Beth's face.

"Any blood?" Beth called in. "Don't flush."

"Geesch!" Dean yelled back. "Little privacy here!"

"I'm coming in!" she announced. Sam and Bobby shared a look. Bobby made a face that made Sam laugh, a sound that thrilled Bobby to hear. It seemed a decent night of sleep and a good breakfast had vastly improved Sam's mood. Well that, and someone he trusted being with him he could lean on for some much-needed emotional support. "What do you want for breakfast?" Beth was asking.

Dean came to the bathroom doorway behind her, pale and somewhat shaky, so when Sam moved to lend an arm, he waited to take it and be led back to bed.

"Eggs? Oatmeal? Pancakes? Probably not, might be too hard to swallow, so, then eggs?" Beth chatted on.

"God no, not eggs."

Sam watched Beth settle Dean back in bed; pleased to see Dean get up and out of bed but wishing he were a little stronger. "Tell me what you want, if they don't have it, I'll go get it." he offered.

"I'm not really all that hungry Sammy, maybe later, lunch."

"Huh-uh, you're going to eat now. I don't want you passing out on me when we leave here."

"Blackmail Sam?"

"Whatever works, so oatmeal?" Sam suggested. Dean just nodded.

"I'll have it sent right up." Beth ducked out.

"You look good Sam." Lisa greeted.

Bobby engaged her in conversation but Sam kept himself distant, going over to stare out the window and letting Ben amuse Dean until the oatmeal arrived. The bowl brought in twenty minutes later and held out to Sam made him jump. He hid his hands behind his back, scared to even touch the bowl.

"What the hell is that?" he backed away, eyeballing the bowl as though what was in it was about to launch up and attack him. He made a face, turning away.

"Oatmeal." the girl snapped.

"It's grey." he moved behind Lisa's chair, the pro-offered bowl following him. "It… did it just wiggle?"

"You are Sam, right? Tall man with the hair?"

"Yeah, but I'm not eating it." he pointed at Dean. "He is."

"Sam! For Christ Sake!" Bobby huffed, reaching over to snag the bowl. "Haven't you ever seen oatmeal before? Here!"

"Bobby, it wobbles." Sam exclaimed. "And _Who The Hell_ has ever seen grey oatmeal?"

"Oh for crying out loud!" Bobby looked into the bowl. "Well, damn me." he gingerly moved the spoon, not sure whether to stir or stab the congealed grey mass of goop. "This is oatmeal? Are you sure? Huh." he thrust the bowl out to Sam. "You feed him."

"I'm not touching that!" Sam shook his head. "Why does it smell so awful?" his lip curled in distaste. "I'm not making him eat….this." he finally took the bowl. "Dean, taste?"

"I'd rather not"

"It's just oatmeal." Sam offered doubtfully. "I think."

"Uh-huh, yeah….see….aaah, no."

"Please?"

"Taste a wobbling wiggling grey blob of goop? No thanks, you eat it."

"Dude, you have to."

"No, I don't."

"You have to eat."

"Not that, I don't."

"Please?…just…well, please?"

Dean closed his eyes with a tired sign, who could deny that plea? Could he ever deny Sam anything? He sat up somewhat and reached out for the bowl. He didn't look at its contents, just scooped some up with a spoon and sucked it down before he could change his mind.

"Well?" Sam waited, unsure, then Dean's eye's watered, his nose ran and he coughed until he spit. Sam handed him some tissues and took the bowl back. "That bad?"

"That is not food." Dean choked, if only he could spit the taste from his mouth. "God." he shuddered. "Water?"

"It's oatmeal." the girl insisted. "And you need to eat more than that."

"The hell it is." Dean groused. "Holy mother of..mmmm. Sam, get her and it away from me."

"But Dean, you gotta eat."

"Not that!" he yelled hoarsely. He waved a hand at the bowl Sam still held. "That isn't freaking oatmeal."

"But…"

"No!" he held a hand up to ward off further argument from Sam. "No. Sam, just no, I'm sorry, but not that, you try it. You taste it. You do and I'll eat more."

Sam thought about it, played with the spoon, tried to convince himself he could do it, would do anything to help his brother but all he managed to convince himself of, was even he had limits.

"Dude, I would do anything for you." Sam informed his wide-eyed brother somberly. "Pick you up, carry you, hold you...but I can't do this...can't eat...whatever this...is supose to be. Sorry." he handed the bowl back to the girl. "So then, toast?"

The nurse Sam didn't like entered the room. He stiffened, her shift should have been over at seven. Where the hell had Beth gone? She rolled her eyes at the crowd once again in the room.

"How was breakfast?"

"Disgusting," Dean replied, tensing at her light touch simply feeling for his pulse.

"Mmmm." she looked over at the girl who held up the bowl. "Did he eat?"

"No, he didn't like it."

"He asked for it." she gave Dean a condescending look. "You need to eat it."

"He asked for oatmeal." Bobby spoke up before Sam could say anything. "Eat that? Hell he's scared of it, bring him some actual oatmeal and he'll eat it."

"It is actual oatmeal." she mimicked Bobby's sarcasm. "With whey protein, he needs the minerals and nutrients it provides." she slapped his hand away from the cup of water Sam held out to him. "You need to eat, not drink." she took the bowl and stirred the contents.

Bobby and Lisa both looked at Sam to see his reaction. He simply stood across the bed, bewildered, jaw slack and watched the nurse. He'd tensed at her harmless slap and his fists tightened when she held the spoon up but he remained silent. If Dean wouldn't eat that oatmeal for him, there was no way in hell he would for the nurse. She could choke him with it and still not succeed. Whatever she tried, she would ultimately fail. She coaxed him first, when that didn't work, she tried threats, ultimatums and finally blackmail. Sam said nothing, finally reacting when she resorted to force.

"You are going to act like the adult you are and eat this." she reached out to grab hold of his chin, tired of playing. "Man up and eat your oatmeal."

Bobby was shell-shocked. He couldn't do more than gape, mouth flapping over the audacity of the nurse. Either she was used to dealing with recalcitrant senior citizens or she was completely insane. Whichever, she was currently suicidal, for by ignoring the mounting fury of Sam, she was endangering her well-being.

Sam's hand closed around her wrist, he didn't tighten his hold until she refused to release Dean. "You've got five seconds to get your hand off him or I start breaking bones." his voice was held low by barely contained fury. "Now. Let. Him. Go."

The nurse had balls, Bobby would give her that, she stood her ground and faced Sam with no show of fear.

"Release me or I will call security and have you held for observation based on your threat of violence and your questionable mental state. I would love to see you in a straightjacket and locked down in a padded cell on the psyche ward.

"Oh shit!" Bobby pulled out his cell and bolted from the room. Lisa sent Ben after him.

Sam's response to her threat was to squeeze her wrist until she hissed. "Let him go or I will twist."

"You will regret this." she threatened, teeth gritted against the pain but keeping her grip. Sam kept his tight hold on her wrist and walked around the bed until he was in her face.

"You are not going to make him do something he doesn't want to do. No one is, ever again" Sam stated in a calm voice that made Dean uneasy. The look that came across his brother's face and settled into his eyes had Dean sitting up. Now alarmed, his hand reached out to rest on Sam's forearm. "Lady, I'm trying like hell to fight what's tearing me apart inside, but people like you keep getting in my way. Now let him go or I swear to god I will break your arm."

"Sammy!" Dean was on his knees on the bed, both hands on Sam's arm. "Sam, no, no Sammy!"

Whether it was the look in Sam's eyes, the tone of his voice or Dean's frantic pleading, Lisa didn't know but the nurse finally let Dean go and stepped back.

"Call security." the nurse told the girl who had brought the oatmeal and stood staring in disbelief, eyes wide. "Have them bring orderlies and the doctor paged. Psyche is about to receive a new admission."

"Lisa, you need to leave" Dean ordered. Sam let the nurse go and she cradled her arm but didn't back away. Dean tugged on Sam until he retreated to the other side of the bed.

"I'm not leaving you here like this." Lisa protested.

"Lisa, dammit, now not!" Dean yelled, coughing to clear this throat, his hands were full trying to control Sam and he didn't have time for her rebellion. "Get out!"

The nurse was so focused on the brothers she failed to notice when a trench coat wearing man appeared in the room without warning. The girl who hadn't obeyed the order to call for security was frozen in shock and Lisa jumped with a startled squeak. She hadn't met Castiel before and didn't know if friend or foe had just materialized.

"Cas." Sam greeted.

"Not a place I expected to find you."

Bobby popped in and attempted to pull a protesting Lisa from the room. She resisted but Bobby was stronger and dragged her out forcefully. "Lisa, we have to go, now." Bobby struggled to calm her down as he tugged her along behind him, her feet dragging. "Hurry, Ben come on, the elevator, move it."

"How can you just leave?!" Lisa cried. "Sam is out of control Bobby, Dean will never let them lock him up."

"Dean won't have to worry about Sam being locked up." Bobby pushed Ben along in front of him and pulled Lisa behind along behind him.

"How can he stop it? He's in a hospital bed." she attempted to tug her arm free of Bobby.

"Cas will never let that happen. Now let's get the hell outta here while we still can." he was now practically running, dragging her bwith him.

"Leave the hospital? Are you crazy? Bobby we can't leave!" the door to Dean's room slammed shut, Lisa heard the nurse calling from inside the now locked room. She heard pounding on the door and when she glanced over her shoulder, the hallway was a flurry of activity. People rushed past them, going in the opposite direction, on their way to Dean's room. Security, orderlies, doctors, techs, nurses, everyone it seemed, was responding to the overhead paging and the alarms now going off. "Bobby! What's going on! Is it Sam? Is he… what is he doing? We can't just leave them!"

"Cas will get them out." Bobby explained tersely, pushing past Ben and taking the lead. "Come on!" she ran with him, holding Ben's hand. They didn't stop until they were safely in the Bobby's car, only relaxing when they were out of the parking garage and on the road.

"Neither Sam nor Castiel will hurt those nurses, will they?" Lisa asked worriedly.

"No." Bobby assured her. "They only want to protect Dean, not hurt anyone."

"But Sam is capable of it, isn't he?" she pushed.

"He's very…yes, yes Lisa, he's so on edge he could lash out and hurt someone he thought was threatening Dean. But it's not going to happen, Dean can handle him and Cas is with them, everything will be fine."

When they reached the motel, Bobby opened the door to the room Sam had booked to reveal Dean getting dressed and Castiel trying to talk Sam down. Lisa just stared at the scene in front of her.

"But…but….how?" she stammered, looking around in bewilderment. "You...you... we left you...No." she shook her head. "How can you be here?"

"Ben, go get your things." Bobby ordered, a whirlwind of activity. "We can't stay here."

"Why not?" Lisa's question went unanswered. "I don't understand any of this."

"My car?" Dean asked.

"We'll get it to Olivia's." Bobby promised. "I didn't have the keys to drive it here."

Dean nodded, standing to pull his jeans up. He swayed, letting Bobby lend a hand to give him balance.

"So, the nurses?" Bobby asked.

"Asleep and Cas zapped us here." he was panting from exertion and sat down to put his boots on. "Damn, I hate zapping, sucks the strength right outta a guy."

Yeah, zapping was Dean's problem, Bobby mused as he collected some items Sam had yet to toss in a duffel bag. Sam was in the bathroom and Castiel began arguing with Dean over the need to worry about untied shoelaces.

"Lisa, where is your car?" Sam asked, coming out of the bathroom, leather bag in his hands that he tucked inside the duffel bag.

"Still at the hospital."

"Guess you can come see him settled before going home." without him was left unsaid but was clear all the same. "We'll only be a night or two at Livy's, soon as he feels up to it, we'll be going to Bobby's"

"Fine, but you still owe me an explanation. Since when does he eat chocolate pudding and drink warm brandy?" her hands were on her hips. "From the beginning, like why you were here, why you went to Olivia's, what you were hunting, how he got bit, and how sick he got?"

"Um, Lisa….?" Dean eyes were wide. "Now's not the time for this."

"Don't you Lisa me!" she snapped. "And wipe that wide-eyed look of innocence from your face! I have never seen you drink brandy and damn you Dean, I've seen you drink a lot! Daily in fact, for a year! You owe me this much, just tell me what happened!"

"I've gotta say, I'd like to know too." Bobby spoke up. "Caught unaware ain't like you, you had to know you were hurt and you knew better than to ignore it and even if you did, Sam wouldn't. If you'd collapsed or passed out on him, he would've stripped you naked and checked you from head to toe. He would've seen the bruises on your belly and questioned you about the puncture wounds on your hip."

"He didn't ignore it and I didn't miss it." Sam shouldered his duffel bag and picked up his laptop. "Ready?"

"What were you hunting?" Bobby asked.

"A muze." Sam said. "We gotta go."

"A what? Don't think I've ever heard of a muze." Bobby thought back over the years. "Nope."

"They aren't violent Sam, and Bobby, they are from another realm, not common here on earth. So, Dean got bit? A bite is painful and makes a person very ill." Castiel nodded. "Did you kill it? You would have needed its blood to make the antidote."

"Yup."

"I see." and Cas was gone.

"Well, I don't see." Lisa was still angry. "Where the hell did he go and what the hell is a muze?"

"We didn't know what we were hunting. Livy called and we came to check it out. When Dean got bit, we stayed with Livy while we researched it. I brought him to the hospital as soon as I could to have him checked out." Sam headed to the door. "Bobby, looks like you're driving us all."


	4. Chapter 4

Olivia lived roughly thirty minutes outside of town and was expecting them. Lisa figured Bobby had called ahead to warn of their arrival. Sam helped Dean from the car and into the house where he kicked his untied boots off and curled up on the sofa. Sam and Bobby fell into a friendly argument in the kitchen while making Dean a decent breakfast and Olivia took Ben outside. That left Lisa to sit with Dean.

"You're tired." she sat facing him on the coffee table after tossing an afghan over him.

"Zapping isn't much fun."

"Neither is stopping your brother from assaulting a woman from your hospital bed."

"Don't." his eyes were troubled.

"Come home with me."

"I can't." he pulled a pillow across his lap and toyed with the fringe. "I can't do this right now Lisa."

She blinked at tears. "All I can seem to do is cry." she dabbed at her eyes. "The invitation stands, you want to come home, you come."

"Ok." he nodded. "I'm sorry Lisa."

"Scrambled eggs, toast, and fruit." Bobby came in with a tray and handed it to Lisa. "No oatmeal."

Dean sank back into the corner of the sofa. He wasn't hungry and didn't want to eat. Sam came into the living room eating yogurt; he joined Lisa on the coffee table, snatching a piece of toast.

"So, how you feeling?" he asked Dean.

"Like shit."

Sam handed Dean the yogurt. "I don't like zapping any more than you do."

"Your fault this time." he slowly ate the yogurt, actually eating some of the eggs on a slice of toast and shared the melon and cantaloupe pieces with Sam.

"I gotta run into town, need some juice and ginger ale, you boys need anything else?" Bobby handed Sam a mug of hot coffee.

"Who drinks juice?" Dean asked, frowning up at Sam then turning a quizzical look on Lisa. "Is Ben staying until we leave?"

"You do." Bobby pulled on his coat.

"I do?" he repeated surprised. His gaze swung over to Bobby. "Since when?"

"Since you decided to piss blood." Sam told him. "Thanks Bobby."

"Oh." Dean winced. "Yeah." he enviously eyed the mug in Sam's hand. "Why do you get coffee?"

"Didn't think you'd want any."

And at that very moment, that particular mug of coffee in Sam's hand was the only thing Dean wanted. His eyes followed Sam's hand as he raised the mug and took a sip. More than anything, he wanted that cup of coffee. He looked up at Sam who read the desire in his eyes.

"What?" Sam shook his head. "No." he moved the mug behind his back out of Dean's sight.

"Why not?" Dean pouted. He wasn't used to being denied what he wanted from Sam.

"Cause it's mine."

"Then share."

"Stop it, you can't have any Dean."

"Sam, good heavens, it's only coffee." Lisa reached around him for the mug. Sam kept his hand covering the top. "Let him have it."

"You can have tea." Sam told Dean. "You want some tea?"

"No! I don't want any damn tea, I want coffee." his whined petulantly. He was tired and he didn't feel good. Rushing from the motel hadn't set well with him, not after the trip via Air Angel. He was cranky and whining seemed the right thing to do to get his own way, it was certainly the way to get what he wanted from Sam.

"I'll just get you another mug." Lisa sighed.

"I want Sam's!"

Lisa was stunned, she felt like she was dealing with an eight year old. This was a side of Dean she had never seen before and she had no experience dealing with him in his current mood. Knowing Sam did, didn't improve her mood at all. She gave Sam her best mothers glare and as with her son, Sam buckled under the stern look and gave in.

"Fine." yup, he'd do anything for his brother. He handed the mug to Dean who took it with both hands and shot him a triumphant look. Sam ignored his display of smugness and waited for him to actually take a drink. "Oooooohhh, not so smug now are we?" he cooed as Dean promptly choked, sitting up to suffer through the coughing fit. Lisa rescued the mug before he could spill any of it, giving Sam a dirty look.

"Vodka." Sam shrugged without remorse. Uh-huh, anything for his brother, including teaching him a lesson.

"You….prick…" Dean choked out. The alcohol burned upon contact with his abused throat. The violent coughing that followed left him gasping for air and his chest heaved with the effort to gain control.

"Only way you'll learn when I say no, there's a reason." Sam refused to let his feelings of sympathy surface and kept his face devoid of all emotion. "I shouldn't have to explain. You need to take me at my word and trust me to know what's best for you."

Dean wanted to dispute Sam's little speech but he was fighting his stomachs decision to empty itself of its most recent meal. Sam knew immediately when the coughing fit turned into fighting not to puke. Dean went green, breaking out in a heavy sweat. Instead of heaving with the effort to gain control of his breathing, his chest now heaved with the strain of keeping the contents of his stomach from reappearing.

"Hey, hey, hey." Sam grabbed Dean by each shoulder and held him steady. "Just relax, okay, easy, just take it easy." he tipped Dean's head up by a finger under his chin. "Focus…look me in the eye…..breathe through it. Want some water?"

"Screw." he gulped. "You." he groaned doubling over as far as Sam would let him.

"Don't be sick. Fight it. You think that vodka burned, try vomiting."

Dean gripped Sam's biceps as he gulped for air and willed his stomach to settle, nearly on top of the urge to vomit and almost sure he had it under control.

"If you boys can't play nice, I'll send you to separate corners." Olivia teased. "Water, small sips." she handed the glass to Sam. He took it with one hand, but didn't push Dean away until Dean relaxed his tight grip on Sam's arms, then Sam guided him back into the corner of the sofa and let him go.

"So, um, sorry." Sam said lamely, picking Dean's hand up and pressing the glass into it. "Got it?" he made sure Dean's fingers wrapped around the glass then let go. "Sips, hey...hey...hey! Small sips you ass, no gulping."

"Sam that was mean!" Lisa glared at him.

"Probably."

"And uncalled for." she continued heatedly.

"Undoubtedly." Sam agreed.

"You could have simply told him there was vodka in the coffee."

"Agreed."

"Then why didn't you? You deliberately put him through that!"

"He has to depend on me Lisa, for survival and to get through the day with the least amount of pain. He needs to trust me without doubt or hesitation." he shrugged. "I was only playing."

"Does he look like he was playing?"

"I didn't really think he'd be stupid enough to drink it." Sam looked down at his brother who had drawn his knees towards his chest, glass resting on his thighs as if it were too heavy to hold. "Figured he'd guess there was a reason I wouldn't give it to him." he picked up his coffee mug and went into the kitchen. Dean set the glass of water aside and squirmed his way down the sofa until he was lying down.

"You still dressed?" Olivia peeked under the afghan. "No shoes on my sofa."

"No shoes." Dean murmured. "If I feel sick, there's a trash can on the floor. No vomiting on myself or on the couch. If that happens, Sam has to clean it up." he recited sleepily, relaxing into the comforting depths of the sofa.

Olivia smiled, patting his knee then waving Lisa towards the kitchen where Ben was eating strawberries and whipped cream. Castiel had joined them and was talking quietly with Sam. Lisa now knew that Olivia was some sort of empath and knew that was how she was able to read Dean so easily. Sam? Lisa didn't understand it, nor could she accept it. All she knew was Dean had never accepted the loss of Sam even though she had convinced herself he had. He was not the same man with Sam in his life that he had been without him.

"So, a muze." Castiel sat down. "They aren't easy to kill. Shooting it doesn't kill it, silver barely slows it down, you can't burn it, and holy water doesn't repel it."

"You can drown them." Sam sat down, fresh cup of vodka laced coffee in his hands.

"Not easily."

"It bit him Cas, was I supposed to let it get away with that? We meant it no harm. All we wanted to do was send it back to where it came from. It knew that and bit him anyway."

"Where did you find information on their bites and methods to kill them? Lore is not commonly found about them in many books."

"Olivia has quite the collection of books, has some contacts, she made some calls."

Bobby was back within an hour. Dean was sleeping on the sofa and Bobby decided it was time he got some answers. He joined everyone at the kitchen table and ordered Sam to start talking and this time, there was no putting him off.

*** say, oh, a week or so ago. ***

Responding to the call of an old family friend, the brothers had traveled to a small town just over the border in western Iowa. After being caught up why Olivia had called them, they'd set out in search of whatever was wreaking havoc on the sleepy town. They'd easily come across the trail of the creature they eventually identified as a muze. They hadn't expected it to attack, so when it did, tripping and sending Sam sprawling face-first, Dean managed to successfully chase it off but not before being bitten. They'd returned to Olivia's, battered and bruised to do more research.

The bite wasn't fatal as long as the antidote was administered; an antidote that required the blood of the muze that'd done the biting. An antidote that once made needed to chill for exactly twenty-four hours then be brought to a full rolling boil, which according to the book, could take twelve additional hours.

Yeah, not fatal but...Sam's stomach tied itself into a knot when he read the list of do's and don'ts and what could/would happen, and what should be expected.

**Do not administer modern medicine. (no explanation for 'modern') (no date when the book was printed)

**Do not allow sleep longer than 3 movements of the suns positions. (which Sam translated as 45 minutes)

**Keep skin cool to the touch.

**There will be pain, do not attempt to relieve.

**Body will attempt to evict poison but fail until antidote is administered. (damn book didn't know the word for time but knew the word antidote)

The list went on and Sam only had to read it once to commit it to memory.

Now, with Dean holding steady at being able to function, they wearily trudged their way back to Olivia's after another fruitlessly tracking the muze. Sam was discouraged and if he'd but admit it, scared. The capture of the muze was now urgent for the need of its blood. Yeah, okay, Dean was holding up but symptoms had presented and he was only going to get worse and once they had what was needed to make the antidote, it would still be another day and a half before Dean could take it.

Sam, lost in his own thoughts, head down as he morosely kicked at rocks, never heard the muze when it attacked from behind; throwing him against a tree and knocking him out.

"Sam?" Dean stopped at the odd thud behind him. He turned around and received a face-full of furry fury. His brother his only priority, Dean was able to fight it off before it could bite Sam but not before being thoroughly trounced, taking several hard kicks aimed at his belly and sides, connecting solidly with his kidneys. When he pulled a knife, it turned tail and fled before he had the chance to stab it and hold it down long enough to collect some blood.

"Sam? Sammy?" he slid to a stop on his knees beside his unconscious brother. Ignoring his own aches and numerous pains, he gave his full attention to bullying his brother awake.

"OW!" Sam came to with a hiss. "Mmm, holy….." he put a hand to his head. "Dean?"

"Right here, you ok?"

"Yeah, think so, you?"

"Fine." Dean lied. There'd be time later to confess to his own injuries. Damn little fur-ball was one strong mother…anyway Sam didn't need to worry about him. They were at least an hour's walk from the house and it was snowing. Sam gained his feet under his own power and appeared steady. He gave himself a moment, but he wasn't seeing double and he could focus both eyes, so he deemed himself ok.

"I'm ok, let's get back." Sam found his shotgun. "Never heard the damn thing coming, did you?"

"No, son-of-a-bitch is quick. You lead, you fall face first into the mud, I wanna see it."

"Did you at least get its blood?" Sam asked without much hope.

"Nope, come on."

Olivia met them at the back door. She didn't need to ask if they had been successful, the look on their faces said plainly enough they had failed.

"What happened?" she moved when Dean tried to step around her. "Nuh-uh, not in my house. Strip." she ordered, blocking the door.

"Out here?" Dean protested weakly. "Have a heart Livy." he begged. "Let us in."

"You are wet, muddy and bleeding." she didn't move, just crossed her arms over her chest. "Strip outside."

"And cold and tired and in pain." Dean complained. "And sick." he added when she wasn't swayed.

"And wasting time." she tossed towels at their feet. "You aren't tracking mud all through my house."

Sam wasn't arguing, he was already out of his boots, his jacket and his shirt was coming over his head when Dean turned to him for back-up. Dean had yet to begin, reluctant to let Sam see any forming bruises until he could see them for himself.

"Do you mind?" Sam paused to give Olivia a pointed look, waving a hand at her to turn around.

"Not at all, view's good." she grinned then turned around to give Sam the privacy he desired. "Why so shy Sam? I used to give you a bath."

"When I was four!"

"Still sucked your thumb." she teased.

"Again, I was four." he moved past her into the house.

"Leave the clothes. I'll throw them in the wash, go hop in the shower."

Clad in a towel slung around his waist, he turned to see if Dean wanted to shower first only to finally notice Dean was still fully dressed. Shrugging, too cold and too eager for hot water to give Dean's behavior a second thought, he went off, leaving Olivia to give Dean the attention Sam didn't know he needed.

"Well? How bad are you hurt?" she asked reaching to help him off with his coat. "What hurts?"

"What doesn't?" he countered with a tired sigh, blowing his breath out. Bracing his weight with one hand against the wall, he balanced on one leg, crossed his right ankle over his left knee and used the other hand to tug on his boot laces.

"I'll rephrase that." she was waiting for him to lose his balance and fall over. "What hurts the most?"

"My pride." he gave up on the boot lace and let Olivia squat in front of him and untie both. "Thanks."

"Arms up, come on."

"Don't tell Sam." he waited for her to nod before obeying her request to raise his arms.

"For now." she agreed.

Putting modesty aside, he accepted her help getting out of his wet clothes, standing still and raising his arms over his head so she could look him up and down and over.

"Hum." she clicked her tongue. "Ribs are ok, but kid, your belly. You're going to piss blood." she smacked his hand away so she could see both the bite on his left hip and the bruising along his right side, belly to back, that promised to be severe.

Dean let her, he'd learned his lesson when Sam hadn't taken no for an answer when he'd asked to see the bite and Dean had refused to show him. His refusal was met with a wrestling match where he had ended up pinned to the bed and Sam's hands down his pants. Dean hadn't been able to put up a fight nor had the heart to deny what Sam saw as a reasonable request. Dean pulled away and bent over to snag the towel, his fingers easily reached it, but then he couldn't stand back up.

"OW!" he grunted. He rode out the wave of pain and finally straightened up. "Can't be good."

"Kidney shot, what from?"

"Muze can kick."

"Bite looks clean. There's no sign of infection. Does it itch? Burn? Throb? Hurt?"

"No." he stepped into the kitchen to shuck the last item of wet clothing and don a towel while Olivia remained on the back porch, collecting discarded clothes.

"Showers yours." Sam came in, dressed, hair wet but combed. "I interrupting something?" he saw the swelling along Dean's lower belly and whistled. "Well, that's gonna hurt."

"So, hot coffee all around?' Olivia came in from the laundry room. "How'd the bite look to you Sam?"

"He hasn't let me see it today." he sat down and reached for a warm just-baked biscuit. "I'll get him after he's out of the shower."

"Get me?"

"Gotta keep it clean Dean..." Sam began.

"Oh god." Dean took himself off for his shower, leaving Sam and Olivia to discuss him. He didn't want to hear it.

"Use the anti-bacterial soap!" Sam yelled after him. "Think he's still doing ok?" he took a seat at the table.

"I think he's going to get worse."

Sam massaged his eyebrows with this thumbs. "Fraid you'd say that."

"We'll get the antidote Sam."

"Yeah." Sam agreed. "Sure."

Dean didn't return to the kitchen after his shower. Sam brushed off Olivia's concern that Dean hadn't eaten anything for dinner, or much at all and said to leave him be. It wasn't long before he followed his brother to bed.

***000***

Dean'd been silently nursing a sore throat since the night he'd been bitten but come morning, he could no longer hide the difficulty he was having swallowing. Olivia noticed at breakfast when he made a good show of cleaning his plate without having eaten anything more than a bite or two of egg but didn't corner him until he refused lunch.

"EVERY! SYMPTOM! DEAN!" Sam yelled angrily, pacing the floor in front of the couch where Dean was currently doubled up, face buried in the corner. "Every god-damn one!"

"Sam…" he didn't move, voice muffled. He was pissing blood but since he knew its cause and there wasn't anything he could do about it, he didn't see any need to panic Sam. The headaches, muscle spasms, joint pain, stiff neck and bouts of uncontrollable shaking were frequent but manageable and wouldn't stop until he'd taken the antidote. Without it, medical treatment wouldn't be of any benefit to him so there wasn't any need to decide whether to head to a hospital.

"Don't 'Sam' me." he spat kicking at the couch. "How could you not tell me? Why would you hide anything from me? My god Dean, why do you always let it get so bad I can't help you? You'll need a doctor; you know that, don't you?"

"For what?" he protested wearily. "We need the antidote, not a hospital."

"Damn you! It's not like you have the fucking flu Dean!" Sam yelled. "Pissing blood? Sounds like a reason to see a doctor to me! Pissing blood hurts. God, do I know that!" he tugged on his hair. "Hell, if I'd known you'd get this bad this fast, I'd be out morning, noon and night hunting the damn thing!"

"Quit kicking the fucking couch." Dean groaned. Oh, if only it were the flu, he thought with a sniff. The flu didn't drive a man to his knees when he pissed. The flu didn't double him up on the floor with blurred vision and a ringing in his ears so loud it made him stuff his fingers in his ear canal in an attempt to silence the noise. The flu didn't give him a headache so severe he couldn't tolerate bright light or loud noises without crying. No, the flu he could handle, there'd be no sore, swollen throat, no trouble breathing, no bone deep pain erupting from his belly with every tortured breath caused by accidentally hitting the bite. He wouldn't cry if he rolled over or choke when Sam held him down and swabbed his hip with peroxide.

"Think we dare try antibiotics?" Sam asked Olivia. "Maybe it's an infection and when the book was printed they didn't exist."

"You have some?"

"Always."

"I dunno Sam. According to everything we've read medicine isn't going to cure him. He needs the antidote." she paused, then shrugged. "Guess it can't hurt to try, but Sam, he's going to need a hospital. We'll get him through the illness caused by the bite, but you're gonna find him on the bathroom floor. He's not going to keep his feet while peeing. I mean, he has to hurt and basically, that's internal bleeding."

"So, what? We do nothing? We head for the ER without the antidote?"

"No." Dean couldn't move, wasn't about to even try. If they wanted him off that couch, they could bloody well carry him. "I'm not…moving."

"You _dare_ say you're ok, I'll knock you out!" Sam threatened. "You don't get to do this to me, not here, not now!"

"_Do this to you_?" Dean found the strength to roll to his back and look up at Sam. "You think I'm having fun here?" he exclaimed incredulously. "Fuck you Sam!"

"You're the one who didn't say anything! You're the one playing Mr. Don't-scare-poor-Sam-I'll-handle-my-own-pain! God, I could put you through the wall!"

"Boys!" Olivia clapped her hands. "Enough, Sam? What meds do you have? Might as well try them. Meanwhile, we plan the next hunt."

The day passed. 'Modern Medicine' hadn't been a wise choice. It made him sick. So sick, he couldn't even keep water down. Hell, swallowing spit made him heave relentlessly. After Sam forcefully shoved pills into his mouth and made him swallow, he choked to the point Sam picked him up and attempted the Heimlich maneuver. He complained he was cold. He asked for more blankets but he was sweating, and Sam having now decided to follow the books do's and don'ts, refused to give him one. Sam had to threaten him to drink but he couldn't swallow, and Sam held him when his belly turned itself inside out.

Though he remained on the couch, he was too uncomfortable to sleep. If he did manage to doze off, Sam was waking him up, asking him stupid questions, feeling him up, offering him water, attacking him with more peroxide. The flashing light from the picture changing on the TV made him dizzy. The aroma of dinner caused him to heave until Sam sat him up and thumped him on the back. Light made his head hurt. Movement from Sam or Olivia startled him. Noise kept him awake.

Unable to do anything else, Sam decided to go out that night after dinner and track the muze.

"You sure about this?" Olivia asked. Dean was quiet and Sam was ready to sneak out.

"Is there another choice? It doesn't like to be confined so it won't come inside, shoot it if you see it. A shot won't kill it, but it'll stun it. Just please, if you do manage to take it down, fill this." he handed her an empty vial with a capped syringe then glanced at Dean, reluctant to leave him. "Four hours and I'll be back."

"And if you aren't?"

"Then get him up and come after me."

***000***

Dean couldn't believe he was tromping through the woods surrounding Olivia's house, following Sam's trail at friggin' midnight. He cursed as he swatted a branch out of his way before it could smack him across the face. He understood the need to hunt the muze but Sam never should have gone after it alone. He understood why Sam had done it, but he couldn't bring himself to agree with the decision. Not when the damn fool had been gone close to six hours.

Olivia followed on his heels. There'd been no complaint from Dean when she insisted on going with him; she should've gone with Sam but there was no way she would've won the argument over Dean being left alone. She knew the woods, she was a fair shot with a shotgun and he was glad for the back-up, not at all sure he'd be ok on his own.

He'd managed to keep down some liquid Tylenol Olivia had produced from somewhere but he still felt like shit. He still didn't have anywhere near his full strength and his pace was slower than he would have liked and it wasn't because Olivia wasn't able to keep up; it was because it was as fast as he was capable of moving.

"SAM!" Olivia yelled. Dean's throat wouldn't cooperate, he could speak but shouting was beyond his abilities. Besides, he was grumpy and mad at Sam for forcing him to be awake and dressed and out traipsing through the cold, wet, snowy woods after his ass. He was going to remember this and give his brother a sound thrashing once he had the strength and opportunity to do it. "SAM! SAM! SAM!"

They came across him thirty minutes later; he was sitting on a log, warming his toes while he enjoyed a fire.

"I don't believe it." Dean wanted to kill him, wanted to lunge at him, knock him off the log and punch him, maybe even roll him close to the fire and singe some hair. "A fire? You're singing campfire songs? Un-freaking believable!"

"Dean?! What the hell are you doing out here?"

"Finding you!" he kicked snow at the fire, stomping his feet through the burning logs, toying with the urge to aim a kick at Sam's leg.

"What?! Why?" he was truly confused.

"Four hours Sam." Olivia was angry. The last thing she'd wanted to do was drag Dean outside. She'd nearly left him a note and gone without him, but decided he deserved the chance to make his own choice whether to go with her. "It's been over five, nearly six hours now."

"Oh shit."

"Oh shit? Is that it? That's all you got to say? How about, sorry? Do you think I want to be out here?" Dean ranted. "Christ, the thoughts…..and I find you camping."

"You shouldn't be out here." he glared at Olivia. "Why'd you bring him out here?"

"You think?" Dean snapped sarcastically, rubbing at his eyes. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I rolled my ankle, damn muze is fast. I found it doesn't much care for light. I started a fire to keep it away, put some snow on my ankle to bring down the swelling before walking back."

"Did you get it?" Olivia set her gun aside and knelt to look at Sam's foot. "Let me see." his boot was off, but not his sock. There was some swelling but no obvious break.

"No." Sam sighed, flinching when Olivia rotated his foot into the swelling. "Ow!" he jerked. "Just hand me my boot….."

The fire now out, the muze attacked, going for the weakest in the group...Dean. Olivia dove for the shotgun she had set aside and Sam leapt for his own but Dean hit the ground on his back and despite his struggles, was dragged away before either gun could be recovered. Sam gave up going for his gun and lunged after Dean but the muze was too fast and Sam was forced to give up pursuit and return for his gun.

"Shoot it!" he yelled at Olivia as he chased after it with his gun in hand. Olivia couldn't see so she shot into the air, hoping to at least slow it down. The loud shot startled the muze into stumbling momentarily, enough for Dean to grab hold of the muze by its ankles and roll with it.

Unable to stop his momentum, arms full of writhing, thrashing, spitting, kicking fury, Dean wasn't able to grip firm ground and rolled down a bank, landing in a cold, icy stream. Ignoring the cold that rapidly sapped his strength; he threw his body weight atop the muze who apparently didn't like cold water either, for once wet and cold, it became lethargic. Dean fought to keep it trapped beneath him, scrambling after it when it briefly eluded him, wrestling it down into the mud of the stream bank.

Then Olivia and Sam were there. Livy switched on a LED flashlight that set it to shrieking and Sam withdrew the syringe and stabbed it. Once Sam had the blood needed, with Dean's weight keeping it trapped, they were able to finally subdue the muze and drown it.

Dean lay stunned, unable to roll over or lift his face out of the water. Too cold to curl his hands in to fists, he was unable to find purchase in the mud or summon the strength to get up and crawl out of the water so he waited for Sam to come sloshing back through the water, with one boot on, to get him.

"DEAN!" exhausted, Sam half carried, half dragged him to the bank where he dropped him at Olivia's feet and doubled over, hands on his knees to catch his breath. God damn muze, even soaking wet and blinded and wounded and bleeding, it was faster and stronger than a human male.

Olivia felt for a pulse, pleased to find one that was strong and steady. She could feel his breath on her palm when she held her hand over his mouth and tried to determine, how much, if any, water Dean had swallowed and whether he had hit his head. "Go get your boot." she told Sam. "He's not going to walk out of here."

"How bad is he?" he gasped, almost able to breathe normally. He shoved his wet hair out of his eyes. "He ok?"

"He hit the ground hard. Cold water didn't do him any favors. We need to get him dry and warm. I don't think he swallowed any water but with him already so weak, he could go down with hypothermia real quick. Can you carry him?"

"Yeah, let me get my boot on."


	5. Chapter 5

Olivia knew the shortest way back to the house and without having to follow the wandering trail of Sam they were back home within twenty minutes, Sam able to carry Dean the distance slung over his shoulder. His dead weight took a toll and Sam's ankle protested its heavy burden but Sam didn't complain or stop. He recognized the urgency to reach warmth and shelter and every minute counted. 'Skin cool to the touch DID NOT by any means mean, 'Frozen and Blue'. He was just grateful Livy led the way.

"Leave him on the floor." Olivia ordered as they crashed through the back door. She didn't care about mud being tracked in this time. Sam gratefully eased Dean off his shoulder and dumped him in a heap on the floor. He started to kneel beside him but Olivia shoved him away with enough force to knock him on his ass. He gave her a wounded look, rolled to his knees and reached out again to Dean.

"No." she slapped his hand down. Sam needed to let her see to Dean while he took care of himself. "Leave him." she said sternly, countering every move he made to touch Dean. "Sam….stop."

"He needs to get outta those clothes…" Sam stammered, teeth chattering from cold or fear or shock or maybe it was anger at the effort she made to avoid allowing him to reach his brother. "Let me….he's gotta…."

"So do you." she grabbed Sam's hands and held them in hers. "Sam, stop!"

"Soon as he is, I'll go change…"

"No, Sam, you listen to me, you don't get to argue about this, do you hear me? Hey?" she gave his hands a dip and a shake. "Look at me Sam, **AT ME**, not him." she blocked his view. " I need you to get a hot shower and dress in warm clothes. I will get him undressed and dried off….Sam, hey listen to me." she actually slapped him across the face hard enough to sting. "I need you warm and dry, ok? Do you understand me? He needs all the warmth he can get and blankets aren't enough, he needs body heat and you've got the most to give."

"What? How? I don't…." he wasn't following her, tilting his head to the side to look around her to see Dean. "No."

"He was already weak Sam, this could be a serious setback. You're going to need to let him draw heat from you." Sam simply stared at her and she gave his hands yet another forceful shake. "Can you do that? Tell me now if you can't, his only other option is me, but Sam….it would be better for him if it were you."

"No, no, ok, okay, yeah, sure, ok, hot shower." he seemed to snap out of his daze as Dean began to stir. Olivia let go of Sam to pull on Dean's boots and Sam left for his shower.

Dean roused enough that he managed to give her some help in getting out of his clothes. His teeth were chattering, his lips were blue and his hands were icy…. she frowned, picking up his right hand and cursing when she saw the blue-tinged to his fingernails. "Not good." she muttered. "Oh so not good."

"I'm.. co.. co…cold." he stuttered shivering. "Ca…. can, I ha…have…a…blank….ket?"

"Oh sweetie, I'm gonna do better than that." she promised. She helped him dry off with a towel and rubbed him briskly with a blanket. When Sam came in dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and flannel pants, Dean was sitting up, hugging the blanket around his shoulders. He didn't protest when Sam manhandled him into the clothes he'd brought with him but he didn't help either. Sam bit his lip to keep from commenting how cold Dean was to touch and to stop from ordering him to stop shivering.

"Couch." Olivia said. "No sense trying to manage the stairs and the sofa's better any way, the more confining the space, the closer to you he has to be."

"I need to mix the ingredients and….."

"I'll do that….I'll set the timer for twenty-hour hours after it's mixed."

Sam hauled Dean to his feet. It took all his strength to do it and he was grateful Olivia was there to give Dean support as well. Shaking from the strain of supporting Dean's weight, his shoulder not having had time to recover from carrying him earlier, they made it to the sofa where Sam obeyed Olivia's order to sit in the corner, one leg on the floor, his bad leg along the back of the couch.

"Ready?" she asked Sam who held his arms out in answer, ready to take the burden of his brother's weight once again. She let Dean fall on the sofa into Sam's outstretched arms. Sam wrapped his arms around Dean and hugged him, pulling him into his embrace. She swung Dean's legs up on the sofa and tucked the afghan over them both. Dean tensed and tried to twist free, struggling to sit up but Sam refused to let him go. He held tight as Olivia gently pushed Dean down and back against Sam's chest.

"Stop it." Sam murmured in Dean's ear as Dean continued to wiggle in protest. His back was firmly against Sam's belly, held tight by Sam's bear hug and no amount of squirming gained him his freedom. He wasn't strong enough to break free but it didn't stop him from trying. Sam ignored the nagging voice busting his balls that the best way to warm another person was skin to skin. He wasn't ready to go there…..yet, not unless he had to – absolutely had to. If it came to that…..well, he'd do anything. "Dean, hey….enough, just be still."

"Comfy?" Olivia asked Sam. "I'll get ice for your ankle."

"Would be if he'd lay still." Sam winced as Dean's elbow dug into his side. "Dude, cut it out!"

"Not too fond of being touched, is he?"

"Or hugged, or held." Sam bit his lip, still having to exert an effort to hold Dean still. He winced and grimaced at Dean's continued wiggling. "Shit." he shifted one way, easing Dean the other. "Ok, better. Damn he's cold."

"He'll soon start to feel your warmth and he'll seek it." Olivia dropped a blanket around Sam's shoulders. "I'll make you some coffee, drink a cup straight, then you can add your poison of choice. He's gonna draw most of your body heat and leave you feeling cold, anything hot you drink will help."

"Vodka." Sam said. "Thanks."

Once Dean began to feel the warmth radiating from Sam's body, he ceased his wiggling and gradually relaxed into the comforting embrace that held him close. At first, Sam failed to notice Dean's acceptance of his position, still holding tight, but as he became aware that Dean was no longer fighting him, he loosened his arms and waited to see if Dean would actually be content to remain where he was without being held there. Dean let his head fall to Sam's shoulder, face turned towards his neck, breathing with shallow pants.

"Jesus Dean." Sam sighed, laying his head against the back of the sofa. "Don't you ever scare me like that again." he felt for Dean's hands under the blankets, still ice cold and numb to Sam's digging nails. "I can't keep doing this."

"How's he doing?" Olivia lifted Sam's foot onto a pillow, spread a towel and settled an ice bag on his ankle. "You comfy yet?"

"Long as he is." he sighed.

"Got a free hand?"

"For coffee? Always."

"He's still cold to touch, still shaking, but his lips are no longer blue." she dug one of Dean's hands free. "Neither are his nails, how about you? Feel warm?"

"I'm ok." he insisted. "Just keep the coffee coming."

"Vodka with the next mug." she promised. She waited an hour then tried to tempt Dean into drinking something hot. Her efforts were for naught as he refused everything she offered. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, plain beef broth, plain chicken broth and warm milk all met with sealed lips and he turned away if she persisted.

"Warm some brandy." Sam's sleepy voice interrupted her brooding. He'd dozed through her numerous attempts of bribery, paying her little attention. "Hot toddy, you know? Hot tea, some sugar, warm brandy, the water you make the tea with will cut it, lemon if you have it, milk if you don't."

"He'll drink it though? I go to all that trouble to make it?"

"Mostly brandy, and it's not all that much trouble."

"I know. I just want to see him drink something hot. It would make me feel better, if not him, you know?" she got to her feet. "I'll give it a try, any specific measurements?"

"No, touch of lemon or milk, spoonful of sugar." Dean had shifted while Sam slept, now sprawled comfortably all but on top of Sam. "Least one of us is comfortable." Sam muttered. He squirmed, shifting more of Dean's weight to the sofa, reaching over his slumbering sibling to snag the afghan and tuck it around him.

Olivia returned with three mugs. "Made you one, actually tastes pretty good, so made myself one." she waited until Sam had dug a hand free, sitting up as much as he could without disturbing Dean then handed him his mug. "Dean, hey sweetie, got something for you."

"Nuh-uh." he turned his face towards the back of the couch.

"You sure? Sam made it." she coaxed. "Come on, give it a try."

Dean blew his breath out. He was finally beginning to feel warm and his chattering teeth no longer made his jaw ache. He wanted to be left alone, not forced to acknowledge just exactly where he was…..um, laying. To do that meant he would have to move and he wasn't ready to do that. The voice kept talking, and yet another glass against his lips, hands held his, played with his fingers. He to take a sip, one sip, just part his lips and take one small sip.

"Dean?" a different voice, a voice he knew well. A voice he always wanted to hear, a voice he trusted, a voice he depended on every day of his life. A voice he knew he should obey and obey without question. "You gotta drink this." the masculine voice was soft, somewhat soothing and Dean's lips parted, taking the glass between his teeth and tasting the liquid the glass offered. He licked his lips, favoring the warm rich taste of throat-burning brandy, the harsh bite of alcohol muted by sugar and milk. He roused slightly, only enough to lift his head and rest it in the crook of Sam's elbow so he could drink from the mug Sam held. After a couple of seconds, he took the mug in his own hands. Sam let him have it so he could drink his own toddy but ended up keeping a supporting hand on the bottom of Dean's mug.

Olivia refilled Sam's mug. "Vodka and brandy?"

"I'm gonna ask for some ibuprofen next." Sam gave her a lopsided grin.

"Oh, that's wise." she shook her head. "He actually drinking any or is he just playing?"

Sam peered into Dean's mug, giving his brother a fond but exasperated look. "About half."

"You want something to eat? Beef stew?"

"Kinda only got one hand free."

"Oh right, well." she thought about it. "Tomato soup with grilled cheese? You can dip the sandwich and drink the soup, I'd rather you have something hot."

"Sure, sounds good. Another refill and those Motrin's?"

Olivia hesitated. He'd already had two mugs of coffee laced with vodka and two toddies with brandy. Oh, what the hell, where was he going? And he was willing to eat so it wasn't like he was drinking and taking ibuprofen on an empty stomach. She snorted. Yup, Livy, way to make excuses for him.

"Sure, you doing okay?"

He gave her question some thought. He was comfortable even if Dean was heavy and laying awkwardly in his lap. His ankle barely throbbed, of course that could be because his whole leg was numb from Dean's weight. His shoulder muscles had ceased complaining and while he wasn't exactly warm, he wasn't cold. He worried but wasn't scared. He had the blood needed to make the antidote and soon they'd be able to leave for the hospital.

Okay, he'd rather not have Dean's elbow digging into his thigh, but then he thought about how close he had come to seeing his brother seriously injured and had to fight the urge to hug him. It had been close - _too close_ - the muze making off with him, the fall down the bank, landing face-down in the stream and Sam knew no amount of discomfort or pain mattered. He gave Dean a quick hug, relaxing his hold before Dean could protest.

"Yeah." not up to reassuring her, he hoped she'd accept his word and leave him be. She nodded and went off to the kitchen. Sam took the mug from Dean's limp hands and looked down to see that his eyes were closed.

"Dean, you awake?"

Dean didn't answer, he didn't want to. He was tired and cold and by God but he didn't feel good. His hip and belly were demanding attention, his throat was pissed off over the brandy, his head ached, his back twitched, his neck was stiff and he couldn't stop shaking from sporadic muscle spasms. He knew all this but refused to acknowledge it. He could bury anything, force it to the back of his mind and keep it hidden as long as he was allowed to. Only one person was capable of making him face reality and he prayed that he wouldn't be asked to wake up.

Sam let him be, falling asleep himself after eating the soup and sandwich and swallowing four ibuprofen with the last of his third toddy. As long as Dean was quiet, Sam could sleep. Olivia checked on Dean every forty-five minutes, giving him water or hot tea with just a hint or brandy when he would take it. He tolerated her touch when she felt for a fever, pulling away when she ran her hands behind his ears and along his throat.

"Livy?" Dean whispered as he felt her hands tickle along his neck.

"Sorry, just relax."

"Cold." he frowned, squirming. "Don't"

"What's cold? My hands? Sorry." she pulled them back, not wanting him to become restless and wake Sam. Swollen glands weren't much of a big deal, would just make Dean more miserable, cause him more discomfort, stress Sam out a little more. Swollen glands, if anything, meant strep throat and with Dean's throat already so sore, strep throat wasn't much of a surprise. They at least had antibiotics and if they could get him to swallow them and if he were able to keep them down, they would help fight the strep.

"He ok?" Sam asked quietly, he'd heard Dean and god how he hated hearing him say that _one _word.

"Swollen glands, my guess is strep."

Sam let his head fall against the couch with a thud. What else could be thrown at him?

Dean, having been disturbed by Livy, chose that moment to decide he'd had enough of being poked and prodded and felt up with cold hands and squirmed until he could curl into a huddled ball. Sam looked down at him in surprise.

"Hey!" Sam's hands went under Dean's arms and he hauled him back up. Dean resisted the move, letting his body go slack and become a dead weight. "Dean, cut it out!" Sam reached for his hands, causing Dean to throw his head back, unintentionally cracking Sam's jaw. "Dammit." Sam's lip split and he licked at blood. "What the hell's the matter with you? Hey, stop it! Come on man!" he shot Olivia a surprised look, not sure why Dean was fighting him. He jerked his head back before Dean could crack him a second time. "OK! That Is Enough!" he managed to hold Dean tight in a hug and force his restless movements to still. "What the hell's the matter with you?"

Dean had had enough of being held and being held still. He squirmed his way out of Sam's arms and threw himself sideways against the back of the sofa. Sam let him go, grateful for the chance to stand and stretch. Dean was facing the back of the couch, and Olivia tossed the afghan over his legs.

"You going to bed?" she asked Sam.

"No, I'll stay up and watch him, go get some sleep."

"Night, call me if you need anything."

Dean spent the remainder of the night on the couch. Maybe he'd been a tad hasty freeing himself from Sam, 'cause dammit he was freezing and couldn't get warm. Just once, he would like to be like any normal person when confronted with a common situation. If he was sick, he should be allowed to whine and pout and fuss, what made him sick shouldn't matter.

Swollen glands were no big deal to him and certainly nothing to cause such a fuss. They didn't hurt, they didn't bother him and they shouldn't matter but Olivia didn't like it, so Sam refused to leave him alone. He was up and around, standing beside or in front or behind the couch, in and out of the room, back and forth across the floor, head popping into view whenever Dean stirred or groaned or otherwise did anything to alert Sam he was awake and trying to move.

Bruised, stiff and sore from both his earlier ass-kicking followed by his wrestling match and fall down the hill, he was forced to accept Sam's help to get up from the sofa and walk to the bathroom. It took an argument, threat of future violence, pleading and bargaining to convince Sam to leave him there alone. Dean reached for his toothbrush with a shaky hand.

Sam may have finally left and allowed Dean to close the door, but Dean had a damn good idea, were he to suddenly open it, Sam would fall through it. He eyed the shower then put the thought from his mind. All he needed was to pass out and he'd never be able to pry Sam from his side. Finally finished, he opened the door and walked into a wall of plaid flannel. His arms pin-wheeled as he rocked back on his heels and didn't fight the arm that came around his shoulders.

"Thought so." he muttered, the fabric soft against his cheek.

"What?" Sam led him back to the sofa where he doubled up on his side, unwilling to move, not even Sam was able to rouse him. "You good?"

"Yeah."

"Piss blood?" silence was his answer. What worried Sam now was the possibility Dean needed help that he couldn't give him, help that required a hospital. He could blame Dean for not admitting how bad it was and he did, but he had to accept some of the blame himself. He'd ignored Dean and taken him at his word that he was all right even when he himself knew about a muze's bite and its symptoms. And that didn't included the ass-kicking he'd received twice from the damned thing.

Olivia, observing the brothers from the kitchen doorway, saw the silent conversation between them. The questioning look Dean gave Sam; the shake of Sam's head in response; Dean lower his eyes and panting heavily, turn over to hide his face in the back of the couch; Sam blink at tears and hide his face in his hands.

There wasn't anything Livy could think of Sam wouldn't do for Dean, but after the reaction Dean threw to the antibiotics, giving him pain killers was first on the list.

She knew as well as Sam did that Dean was worse than he admitted. Knew he was in pain and suffering from headaches and muscle spasms. There was still discomfort caused by internal swelling that he couldn't deny or completely hide. Red-webbed, swollen eyes were the dead giveaway. God only knew what havoc the bite was wreaking on him.

"Here, try this." she handed Sam a bowl. "Maybe he'll eat."

"I'm not deaf you know." Dean muffed out from where his head nestled under the pillow. "Can still hear just fine."

"Can't stand or walk or pee or swallow or eat, but you can hear just fine." Sam scowled.

"Didn't I just eat?"

"You cried at the suggestion Dean."

"Yeah, well, hurt." he muttered. "I've been lucid you know, Sam if you want to go, we'll go. Livy can bring it to the hospital."

"I know." Sam agreed. "Just gotta…...I dunno."

"I can manage." he emerged from the depths of pillows, green eyes while alert, were dull. "Can lay down in the backseat if I feel sick."

"Sure." Sam dug the heels of his palms into his eyes. "Nothing at all for me to worry about rolling on down the highway, afraid to hit the brakes for fear of knocking you off the seat."

"See if you can eat and keep this down." Olivia waved a hand at the bowl Sam held.

Dean didn't want it, didn't want anything, he didn't want to look in the bowl or know what was in it. He wanted to curl up and hug a pillow, face the couch and let his body submit to whatever symptom/weakness claimed him first. Sam looked ready to cry, biting on his bottom lip to keep it from quivering, his jaw clenched, causing the vein in his neck to strain and pulse. Dean knew those signs all too well; Sam was losing his grip, his control and within minutes, would be outside whacking at a tree with an axe.

"Oye." he held his hand out for the bowl. He had no idea why they were so insistent he eat, it wasn't like he was about to starve to death anytime soon. But it was obvious that it was important to Sam that he ate, so he'd eat. In his mind, it was more important to drink, he favored the hot toddy, but whether it was plain hot tea or water or juice or some god awful sports drink, he drank whatever was offered. The bowl was warm in his hand and he raised watery eyes to Olivia.

"Pudding." she explained.

"It's warm."

"It can be made you know; just need to boil some milk, chocolate is all I have."

Dean steeled his nerves and lifted the spoon, aware of Sam watching his every move. It hurt to swallow, but there was no salt in the pudding, nothing to chew, no onion, nothing to irritate a raw throat and it was surprisingly easy to swallow and actually felt good sliding down his throat in a rush of warmth. He still wasn't hungry but at least he found something he could manage to eat.

The day passed in a blur. Every time Sam entered the room a new symptom had hit. By the hour, Dean got worse. He tried to eat, anything to take that look off Sam's face but swallowing hurt, the effort to do so produced tears and he managed to choke down only a bite or two. His headache was back and remained, his verbal request for aspirin denied.

He needed help to gain his feet, walking made him wince, turning his head made his breath hitch and his hip sent pulses of pain through his belly; the pain didn't let up, it didn't relent, and it didn't stop. He so much as brushed his hip against the couch cushion, and he attempted to heave his toes out of his mouth until he lost the ability to control the relentless retching and passed out.

The book warned of violent, unrelenting vomiting and extreme hyperventilation that could last until consumption of the antidote and all poison expelled from the body and it hit him hard. When he spit up blood, he found himself on the bathroom floor with no memory of walking there, Sam holding him on his knees with his head hanging over the toilet.

He had no idea of the passage of time, but apparently, enough time had passed without him being sick to satisfy Sam for he was hauled off the floor and when he resisted, lifted off his feet. He was expecting the soft comfort of the sofa so the cold feeling of the porcelain tub made him squawk his displeasure and he balked.

The words 'don't', 'stop,' 'please,' were spoken but he didn't know by whom, cudda been him. He knew when the curtain was pulled and warm water soaked his head. He was aware he was held up against a wet wall and stripped of his shirt; obviously he was in the shower and he wasn't alone.

It was the end of his silent suffering and well-kept control.

He was cold and he shivered and begged to get out and be given a blanket. Finally dry, if not warm, and horizontal on the sofa, he repeatedly asked for aspirin or Tylenol, pain meds, anything to relieve the pounding in his head and cramping in his belly, finally falling silent when he realized - again - his request would not be granted.

He supposed more time passed. He was too awash in misery to take note. Movement? Moving sent a bruise or sore spot or tender muscle or abraded skin into fits. Sleep? Every time he managed to close his eyes, Sam was shaking him, stopping only when Dean made eye contact. Breathing? Short, shallow pants…only. No swallowing, no licking of lips, no scratching roof of mouth with tongue for that created saliva and it was either drool or swallow and swallowing made him cough and to stop coughing he had to sit up and to sit up meant movement and moving…well, Christ…

When Sam _finally _broke down and offered him liquid Tylenol, he coughed up spit and blood and mucus and phlegm and bile and all Sam could do was sit on the coffee table in front of him, massage his neck, and catch him when he pitched forward off the sofa.

"Sam." she laid a hand on his shoulder, able to feel his every emotion. Anger, frustration, fear, helplessness. "Look, he's quiet, go take a nap. I'll watch him." after the day Dean had just had, both were reluctant to subject him to anything that would make it worse. "An hour Sam." she pushed when he hesitated. "You…aah might want to change….."

"How much longer?" he gazed without conscious thought at his soiled shirt sleeve.

"Let's see…we got back last night around two…..I mixed the antidote and put it in the fridge at three-o-seven. The book was very insistent that it chill for exactly twenty-four hours, so I set a timer. Then we have to bring it to a rolling boil which could take up to twelve hours. Once you give it to him….and he…um…well, after that….you can leave for the ER."

"Okay."

***000***

Dean was on the couch; Sam stood in front of him, mug of muze blood mixed with specific herbs in his hand. It smelled so bad; he couldn't hold the mug near his nose. He was pale, his hand shaky as he contemplated what he was about to do. He took a deep breath and went to his knees next to the sofa.

"Hey, Dean." he grabbed hold of Dean's chin with his left hand and held his head still. The firm grip felt with no warning brought Dean awake and he jerked violently in an attempt to pull free. "No." Sam gave Dean's head a slight shake to catch his full attention. "Look at me, you with me? You have to drink this. It's not an option, okay? Not just a sip, all of it." he waited for Dean to nod then put the glass to his mouth, hoping Dean wouldn't notice the smell until after he started to drink.

"Ugh." Dean pulled back, face twisted into a scowl of disgust. "No."

"I'll just hold you down and make you drink it."

"Go 'way."

"It's the antidote Dean, you don't get a choice….come on."

A part of Dean knew he should be reasonable, knew he should willingly drink what was being forced on him, but the part of him that was tired of being in pain had control and he in no way wanted to be forced into accepting or doing anything more.

Sam didn't exactly have a full-fledged fight on his hands but prepared for the reaction he was sure he was going to get. Dean had always been difficult when forced with a situation he didn't like so when Olivia swept the mug from Sam's hand, Sam easily pinned Dean's hands together by his wrists and forced them down over his head. Had Dean had his full strength, his coordination and the ability to think coherently, he might've been able to fight Sam and gain his freedom.

When Dean ceased to struggle, Sam sided with caution and lodged his right knee lodged against Dean's breast bone, buried his toes buried in the couch, and sat back, his ass pressing into the top of Deans' thighs, effectively rendering him all but motionless.

"Looks like you've done this before." Olivia commented.

"It's never been this easy, I didn't realize how weak he'd gotten." he took the glass. "Can you hold his hands? He might fight you at first, but once I grab hold of his jaw he's gonna forget all about you. Ready?" while Dean was physically weak, his jaw was still stronger than Sam's fingers and Sam nearly got bit.

"Cut it out Dean." the way Sam held his head made it difficult for Dean to spit but he gagged and choked as he attempted to swallow the most vile thing he'd ever tasted in his life. Sam tuned out the soft whimpers and coughs and ignored his brother's reluctance to drink. He would cry about it later while in the shower or alone in his room; right now he needed to remain unaffected, hard though it was and see this through. The silent tears made him pause, god, how much could swallowing the antidote hurt?

"Sam?" Olivia called softly.

"I'm good." he wiped the sweat from his upper lip with the back of his hand. "Done."

"Spill any?"

"No, he spit some out is all." he wiped the blood from Dean's mouth with his own sleeve. "Guess we can go."

"Don't you want to shower first?"

"I can wait."

Dean can't went left unsaid.

*** Present ***

"So, you let them treat him for an illness he didn't have..…." Bobby shook his head. "There was no infected wound."

"I didn't want them to treat him at all." Sam said defensively. "Had he not still been pissing blood, I never wudda taken him in, the antibiotics we have wudda taken care of the strep. He wudda been able to take them once the muze's poison was out of him. I did what I had to do, what I always do, what I always will."

"He shouldn't always be in these life and death situations." Lisa spoke up.

"We're not going through that again Lisa." Sam sighed. "Just lay off already." he was still rattled over their abrupt departure from the hospital, still thinking maybe it had been too soon for Dean to have left.

Dean came into the kitchen, refreshed after his nap. "Hey." he headed for the fridge, wanting a beer and being given a bottle of cranberry juice instead. He wrinkled his nose at Olivia in disgust.

"You just got done choking on vodka, you ass." Sam dared him to argue. Dean called him off with just a look. That was something else between the brothers Lisa couldn't stand. They could call one another to their side, control the others actions, with just a look.

"So, what's the plan? Dean asked. "Leave for Bobby's in the morning?"

"Friday." Sam decided. "I need a day or two to sleep and let someone else amuse your ass."

"It's what, a four or six-hour drive? I can handle that." Dean shrugged. "Will drive if you want me to." he offered with a cheeky grin.

"What, is it so bad here, you can't spend another day or two? I know the memories here aren't all good, but Dean, you gotta give here, think of Sam for a change." Olivia scolded.

He choked on his juice. _For a change_? Hell, all he did was think of Sam and put his needs first.

"Yeah, well, ok, I guess. But I'm done with the hand-holding and hugging."

"OH!" Olivia perked up. "I have pictures, did I mention I took pictures?" her look was positively gleeful and she childishly clapped her hands together.

"You what?" Dean's look was deadly. "SAM!"

"Hey, you were heavy, I was asleep." he shrugged, trying and failing to hide a grin.

"You _knew_ she took pictures? You _let_ her?!"

"I've gotta see these pictures. You actually have pictures of Sam holding Dean?" Bobby said.

"Mmm-hmm, Dean's a snuggler. Now, you do need to remember, he was half-frozen and practically unconscious and deathly ill, but…."

"I've got nowhere to go." Castiel cut in. "Show me these pictures."

"IF YOU DARE show those…" Dean set the bottle aside and started after Olivia. "Livy!" he warned when she danced away, laughing at him.

"And Dean allowed it? Lay in Sam's lap?" Bobby was doubtful. Livy shot Bobby a look that would have killed him if that old wives tale held any truth. "Shit, you're serious." Bobby said in awe. "I mean, willingly? Really? Gimme a beer and set up the slide show"

"They will never leave this room." she promised Dean with a wink. "I promise." she retrieved her laptop and booted up.

Dean glared at Sam who gave up trying to hold a straight face and burst out laughing. "Sorry dude!"

"Oh trust me, you will be." Dean vowed.

*** END ***


End file.
